ball girl

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of ball girl¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Agyemang, who was a ball girl for England's World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland in 2021, played 138 minutes of football at Euro 2025 and did not start a single match but was a huge asset for head coach Sarina Wiegman.

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When she was a ball girl at an England match at Wembley just four years ago, Michelle Agyemang says she was "never that close to the action".

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Having come through England's under-age teams, her first real encounter with the senior side came when she was a ball girl in Sarina Wiegman's third match in charge - a World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland in 2021.

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Wiegman knows about her evolution from ball girl to first-team player, but the Arsenal forward does not think her England team-mates know about her history - and that's OK.

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From ball girl to England hero - who is rising star Agyemang?

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