Ballkids Adelle Kao and Will Cartwright were named the Top Guns of Australian Open 2025, earning their place in the women’s and men’s singles finals squads.
Adding to this remarkable achievement is the fact they will also take part in the prestigious exchange program with Roland Garros, where they will work as ballkids in Paris this year.
This is Cartwrights’s final year as an AO ballkid, while Kao, a year younger, will have the opportunity to return to the squad for AO 2026.
The Top Gun award not only recognises their embodiment of ballkid values, but also highlights their outstanding commitment to mentoring their peers and supporting new ballkids.
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Four other AO ballkids – Jackson Chappannel, Imogen Davison, Connor Giles and Nathinee Evans – will represent the program as ballkids at the China Open, the resumption of a ballkid exchange program between the two Asia-Pacific tournaments.
Kao, Cartwright, Chappannel, Davison, Giles and Evans were among the 428 AO Ballkids – the tournament’s largest ever squad – celebrated for their hard work and dedication throughout Australian Open 2025 at the Ballkids Thank You Party.
During the event, the final squads for the weekend’s remaining matches – women’s and men’s singles finals, and doubles finals – were announced, setting the stage for thrilling matches to conclude the event.
Meanwhile, Alcott’s Aces triumphed in this year’s Ballkid House Cup, outperforming 12 other houses with their extraordinary commitment to ‘going the extra mile’.
This year’s winning team exemplified all the ballkid values, fostering a sense of belonging, leadership growth, and camaraderie among their peers.
The Rookie of the Year awards were presented to Talon MacKenzie and Ci Song, recognising their impressive performance and dedication in their first year as ballkids.
As AO 2025 concludes, ballkids receive gift bags – including a special individual gift – as a memento to cap an unforgettable tournament.
Registration for the Australian Open 2026 ballkid squad are already open: https://www.tennis.com.au/learn/ballkids-officials-coaches-and-volunteers/ballkids