MASON − Leon Bao has spent more than half his life watching professional tennis from a place most fans would do almost anything to reach.
It's not in the front row, or in a luxury suite with all-you-can-eat food. He watches from the court, just a few feet from the world's biggest stars.
Bao, a 25-year-old Cincinnati native and CHCA graduate, started working on the Cincinnati Open ball crew as a teenager. He grew up playing tennis and wanted to be as close to the sports as possible.
"It was the best seat in the house," Bao said.
Over a decade later, he still feels that way after working one set in a Grandstand doubles match
featuring the four-time Grand Slam duo of Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury.
"Legends of the game," Bao said.
There is a lot more to earning that seat than simply being able to chase down a tennis ball. Prospective ball crew members go through a two-day training program at Eastside Sport & Racquet Club. They are put through situations and taught everything from the rules of tennis to how to properly squeegee a court.
"I was freaked out," Bao said. "You wanted to do your best. It's an audition."
Once selected, ball crew members learn that their job requires speed and anticipation. Younger members typically start on smaller courts, where monitors watch to evaluate safety and provide coaching and feedback. Crew members then work their way up to the bigger venues with TV cameras.
Bao typically works at the net, where he considers himself something of a "floor general." While fans turn their head back and forth during a long rally, Bao is constantly scanning the court.
"Are there six balls here? OK, we're good. Who is serving right now? How many games until a ball change? Does anyone look like they're struggling?" he said. "I always have this habit of running through a list, scanning and making sure everybody's good."
When every box is checked, Bao has a moment to soak it all in.
"You have this split second of, 'Oh my gosh, I'm here. I can't believe I'm doing this.'"
The ball crew is expected to be almost invisible. The biggest mistake isn't dropping a ball or getting hit by a serve. It's forcing an umpire to stop play.
"That is the criminal cringe moment for all of us," Bao said.
The ball crew knows the quirks of the players, too. Tommy Paul, who lost in the Cincinnati Open quarterfinals Aug. 20, is one of the easiest to work for. Paul prefers having two tennis balls available on each side of the court and even helps the crew maintain that balance.
Frances Tiafoe, who will play in the Cincinnati Open quarterfinals Aug. 21, is most known for his electrifying play. For the ball crew, he's known to sweat a lot. That means towels have to be ready, sometimes before Tiafoe even asks. Often, a look is enough.
Then there are the little routines. Tiafoe sometimes takes three balls before serving, only to drop one at the last second. The ball crew has to recognize the moment and react without disrupting play. Those little details matter. The ball crew is part of the rhythm of the match.
"Everyone for the most part is nice," Bao said. "It's not personal if they're mean to you. They're just locked in. They're playing for hundreds of thousands of dollars."
That proximity has produced plenty of memorable moments. Bao once worked a match with Adrian Mannarino. When the Frenchman became frustrated after Bao retrieved a ball before realizing Mannarino wanted it. Bao was simply doing what he had been trained to do. He's also been clipped by serves when stationed near the baseline and had to deal with the grueling heat on numerous occasions when the on-court temperatures reach over 100 degrees.
But then there are moments that make it all worth it. Bao's biggest match was the second set of the 2023 Cincinnati Open men's final between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz. The match quickly became one of the Cincinnati Open's most memorable finals as the longest match in tournament history (3 hours, 49 minutes).
"The second set. That was my contribution to history," Bao said. "I remember thinking, 'Oh my gosh. Why am I down here? I'm literally on the court with greatness."
Bao also worked Roger Federer's final match in the Cincinnati Open in 2019, a straight-set loss to Andrey Rublev.
"I remember every single moment," said Bao, who worked the first set of that match. "Just butterflies the entire time but you gotta stay locked in."
Federer is still the player Bao would most want to work again, but his favorite memories aren't necessarily the biggest matches. They're the small moments that fans never see. Richard Gasquet's superstition about using the same ball after winning a point. Alcaraz saying, 'thank you' after receiving a towel, running a Pepsi to a thirsty player or hearing a star's private comments to his box.
For a just a moment, a ball crew member gets a glimpse of the person behind the superstar.
"Those individual experiences that you can spend all the money you want, but you can't get access to. Those little tidbits," Bao said. "They entrust you with their space and their peace. That's honestly the most special part."
The ball crew sees itself as a representation of Cincinnati just as much as the players do. Every time they put on the uniform, they are representing the city and their tournament.
"We care so much. We have so much pride in this. It's the only major tournament in the Midwest where the top players choose to come. Every time we put this uniform, none of us take it for granted," Bao said. "We try our hardest because when people think of the Cincinnati Open, we want them to think about the amazing facilities, amazing people, the Midwestern kindness and a great ball crew.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: What does it take to be on the Cincinnati Open ball crew?
