ball girl

American  

noun

1. Tennis. an attendant, usually a girl or young woman, employed to retrieve balls and supply players with them.

2. Baseball. an attendant, usually a girl or young women, who retrieves foul balls and brings the umpire new balls during the game.

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Etymology

Origin of ball girl

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

The ball girl managed to get back to her feet and was helped off court by medical staff, with play resuming after a six-minute delay.

From BBC • Jan. 18, 2026

Thibault-DuDonis became a ball girl on her dad’s team and became friends with players such as Lindsay Whalen and Brooke Wyckoff, who eventually became coaches themselves, and mentors to Thibault-DuDonis.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 21, 2024

The pair progressed Sunday after their opponents were forced to forfeit a match when Miyu Kato accidentally hit a ball girl in the neck with a ball after a point.

From Washington Times • Jun. 5, 2023

The Japanese-Indonesian team tried to plead their case to French Open officials on the court, saying it had been accidental, and Kato went over to the ball girl to apologise.

From BBC • Jun. 4, 2023

Bouzkova said she did not see the ball hit the ball girl, but “she was crying for like 15 minutes.”

From Washington Times • Jun. 4, 2023