Pam Shriver calls out tennis bodies around the world for 'disgusting' practice involving ball kids

Pam Shriver praised the practice of ball kids in Australia using buckets to bring towels to tennis players this season. She encouraged the rest of the world to adopt this approach, describing the act of "handling sweaty towels" as "disgusting."

Former World No. 3 Shriver highlighted the improved system of ball kids using buckets to hand towels to players in Australia. Sharing her thoughts on X (formerly Twitter), she wrote:

"Like that down under ball kids are bringing towels to player in buckets vs disgusting other way of kids handling sweaty towels with their bear hands. Come on rest of the world get with it!!"

The practice of ball kids handing towels to players has been a staple in tennis, allowing players to manage sweat efficiently during matches. However, it was paused during the COVID-19 pandemic due to hygiene concerns, requiring players to fetch their own towels.

Recently, this tennis ritual was reinstated, gaining renewed support following the introduction of the automated shot clock rule. The rule sparked debate, with Carlos Alcaraz arguing that it left insufficient time to prepare for serving. This led to calls for towel delivery by ball kids to help players save time and maintain the game’s pace.

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Carlos Alcaraz and Kim Clijsters spark debate over ball kids delivering towels in tennis

Carlos Alcaraz celebrating his 2024 French Open title with ball kids (Image: Getty)

During the Beijing Open, Carlos Alcaraz encountered challenges with the newly implemented automatic shot clock, which led to a heated exchange with the chair umpire during his first-round match against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.

The drama unfolded as Alcaraz received two violations while serving for the first set. In the post-match press conference, Alcaraz expressed frustration with the time restrictions, saying:

"Obviously, I was a little bit mad about the time rule because I feel like I have no time. I have to run between points. I have no time to have a break, to rest or to breathe. I mean, if I finish the point at the net, which was the case, I have no time to go to the towel and do my routine. I was a little bit mad about it."

Responding to the controversy, four-time Grand Slam champion Kim Clijsters proposed a solution, stating:

"Bring back the rule where the ball boy/girl can bring the towel to the player."

However, her comments sparked a backlash from some fans who view the practice as disrespectful to children, reigniting the long-standing debate about ball kids' roles in tennis.