Wimbledon: Ball girls on what it’s like playing the pros on court

The Wimbledon Championships, established in 1877, is the oldest tennis competition in the world.

Held in south-west London every summer, more than 500,000 people attend each year, according to organisers.

Aashny and Saran, both 15, went through multiple stages to become ball girls.

They told BBC Newsbeat they were made aware of the opportunity when starting at their secondary school, which is partnered with Wimbledon.

“I’ve wanted to do this since I was in Year 7,” says Aashny.

Many local schools have a connection with the tennis tournament and students can put themselves forward for the role of ball girl or ball boy.

When entering Year 10 in September 2023, they jumped at the chance.

“We started training and each week certain people would get through to the next round,” says Aashny.

Then they got picked for the Wimbledon trial, where more people were eliminated.

“It’s a long selection process,” she says.