Shining in Melbourne! The China Open Ballkid Team Praised at the 2026 Australian Open

On January 26, the 2026 Australian Open continued its fierce competition at Melbourne Park. At the same time, a ballkid team from the China Open (hereafter "China Open") successfully completed their two-week service assignment, returning with high recognition from the international tennis community and valuable experience in hand.

Six ballkids from the 2025 China Open Diamond Community — Guo Feina, Kong Dexuan, Li Xiaoyi, Liu Liwen, Wang Ziyi, and Zhu Xuanye — arrived in Melbourne on January 9 as representatives of the China Open ballkids. They quickly adapted to the Australian Open’s requirements and venues, starting to assist players from the qualifying rounds. As one of the four Grand Slam events, the Australian Open has extremely rigorous selection criteria for ballkids. These six stood out after undergoing strict assessments during the China Open and being evaluated by experienced Grand Slam ballkid assessors who traveled to Beijing for selection. They demonstrated exceptional professional skills, excellent adaptability, and international-level comprehensive qualities. During the service, Kong Dexuan, the 2025 China Open Ballkids Leader, observed that the Australian Open Ballkids Leader carries more responsibilities on and off the court, deepening his understanding of the role: “I hope to continue this role when I return to the China Open to better support my teammates.”

During the two weeks of service at the Australian Open, the six ballkids from the China Open lived up to expectations with their solid professionalism, all being assigned to the top three main stadiums. Notably, four of them served at the Australian Open’s center court — Rod Laver Arena. A particularly exciting highlight was Zhu Xuanye’s appearance in the evening session of the main draw at Rod Laver Arena, marking a significant breakthrough since the resumption of China Open ballkid exchanges in 2024. Evening sessions at the center court are reserved only for the most outstanding ballkids and are considered one of the most prestigious service opportunities at the Australian Open. Zhu Xuanye expressed pride in representing Chinese youth on the Grand Slam’s center court and adding luster to the “China Open Ballkids” brand. This achievement not only reflects the long-term professional accumulation of China Open ballkids but also signifies that the China Open’s ballkid training system has reached an international first-class level, earning high praise from the Australian Open officials.

Beyond their rigorous on-court duties, the ballkids also experienced touching moments abroad. On January 21, which was Chinese tennis star Zhang Shuai’s birthday, China Open ballkid Li Xiaoyi, who served during her doubles match, happily took a photo with Zhang after the match and sent her sincere birthday wishes far from home — an unforgettable memory for him. Working alongside ballkids from around the world, Guo Feina felt the warmth of friendships crossing borders: “Fate is wonderful. Last year, Australian ballkid Jackson served at the China Open, and he was here again this year. He kindly shared venue experience and rule details with us, which helped a lot. As a thank you, I prepared a small gift with Chinese characteristics for him.”

The China Open ballkids successfully completed their two-week event service, achieving the goal of all six serving at the top three main stadiums. Behind this seemingly smooth process were many challenges. Gao Yuan, General Manager of the China Open Event Operations Center, shared: “As the elite among China Open ballkids, the kids initially felt the heavy pressure of ‘bringing honor to the country’ upon arriving in Melbourne, which made them somewhat tense. We promptly provided psychological counseling to help them release this burden and shift from ‘just completing the task’ to ‘enjoying the stage.’” With patient guidance from their mentors, the ballkids overcame nervousness and showed 100% of their true abilities on court, achieving a major breakthrough.

Since its establishment in 2010, the China Open Ballkid Development Program has become a core force in promoting youth tennis development by the China Open company. Over the years, the China Open has been committed to enhancing ballkid service quality, increasing the project’s value, and creating more opportunities for China Open ballkids to appear on the international stage. Since the official launch of the “China Open Ballkid Grand Slam Exchange” program in 2012, 92 China Open ballkids have represented China at Grand Slam tournaments. Their outstanding performances have fully demonstrated the excellent qualities of Chinese youth, while also strengthening communication and cooperation between the China Open and major Grand Slam events. During this service period, Lorey Bentley, head of the Australian Open ballkid program, gave high praise to the China Open ballkids, commending their “professionalism on court and friendly humility off court,” and fully affirmed the collaborative projects between both sides.

With the successful conclusion of the 2026 Australian Open ballkid service project, these ballkids, tempered by international competition, will return to China to become key pillars of the China Open event services. Their experience will inject fresh vitality into this autumn’s China Open held at the National Tennis Center and set new benchmarks for the internationalization and professionalization of tennis event services in China.

Looking ahead, the China Open will continue to expand exchanges and cooperation with top international tournaments, cultivating more professionals with global perspectives to enhance the quality of Chinese tennis events and contribute more to the sustainable development of tennis in China.