An Australian Open ballkid career was already a dream experience for Elisabeth “E.J.” O’Connor and Jackson Chaponnel – but neither could have imagined quite how far the journey would take them.
After performing their roles for two years in the elite AO squad, which numbered 435 in 2026, the young Melburnians were named the Top Gun Ballkids of the Australian Open.
Top Gun status, awarded to two ballkids each year, recognises qualities including focus, precision and professionalism displayed throughout the tournament.
Alongside the honour of featuring in the AO women’s and men’s trophy presentation, the Top Guns are granted the opportunity to participate in exchange programs with other tournaments.
For EJ and Jackson, that’s meant travelling to Paris this year to become part of the 300-strong contingent at Roland Garros.
“Being able to represent Australia as a ball kid in France is really incredible,” said 16-year-old EJ, who aside from a trip to Fiji when she was “very little”, is travelling for the first time outside Australia.
Jackson, who turns 16 in September, is equally thrilled to experience both a new city and Grand Slam in his first trip to Paris. “We've done a lot. Probably being on court in Roland Garros is the highlight and having played tennis as well, the French clay is such a different thing,” he said.
Maximising an opportunity is a theme that carried through their ballkid careers from the outset. For Jackson, who has long enjoyed playing tennis, that meant following father Andrew’s earlier path as an AO ballkid.
“I wasn't sure at first because I thought it would be such a big responsibility,” he admitted of his nerves before his success in trials four years ago.
“And then from there, I just loved it so much. I was doing lots of rolling and stuff outside of the tournament and training and all that. And then, yeah, just every year got a bit better and now I'm here.”
Developing her love for tennis as a fan fuelled EJ’s ballkids ambitions. Alongside fond memories of watching Roland Garros and Wimbledon on television with her father, she can also recall the transformational experience of her first visit to the Australian Open.
“I saw the ballkids and thought, ‘Oh, that'd be really fun’. I always thought you had to play tennis to do it, but I did some research, and I thought I'd just trial,” she related.
“I did a lot of practice beforehand. I watched a lot of YouTube videos to see how the ballkids do everything … And yeah, I made it. I was so unbelievably excited.”
Extending their ballkid careers to a second Grand Slam has brought a fresh set of learning experiences.
Both players admit that the clay surface presents some unique challenges. “For me it’s rolling,” said EJ, who as a ‘base’ ballkid is positioned on the baseline. “If you do a bad roll, it just flattens it out by the end, but it's also very slippery. And yeah, I think there's definitely a lot of differences with the clay.”
But the rewards from those experiences have been immense. EJ was excited to be among the ballkid group who honoured the retiring Stan Wawrinka in his final Roland Garros match on Court Simonne-Mathieu.
“He's such an amazing player and an amazing person as well,” she smiled. “He's always so good to the ball kids and so friendly. Yeah, it was sad, but it was special.”
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Jackson nominated the second-round match between Frances Tiafoe and Hubert Hurkacz as a standout. “They were both serving it so fast, like into the corners as well. So like, a bit scary as well!” he laughed of the Court 14 match, which also marked the first time the pair were on court together.
The Australians have also enjoyed being caught up in the excitement of watching dramatic matches with fellow ballkids, such as when French teenager Moise Kouame claimed a five-set win in the second round.
“The kids are so passionate. It's so incredible to be amongst it and part of it. I think it's a really good culture they have here,” said EJ.
And the highlights extend off the court. Ahead of Roland Garros, the ballkids were among the guests at a reception hosted by Lynette Wood, the Australian Ambassador to France, which celebrated French and Australian tennis at the Australian Embassy.
The reception gave EJ and Jackson the chance to mingle with officials, coaches and Australian players including Talia Gibson, Adam Walton and Emerson Jones.
“Seeing all these incredible Australians represent … it kind of felt like we were part of something really amazing,” said EJ.
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Jackson relished the inside view of the players’ preparation. “They were talking with their coaches about their approach to the matches,” he said, noting Walton’s view on a first-round match with former world No.1 Daniil Medvedev, who the Australian went on to beat in a monumental five-set upset, as a highlight.
There has also been the chance to explore some sights of Paris, including a memorable trip to Disneyland Paris. Both EJ and Jackson were thrilled that their parents have joined them at various stages of their trip.
Equally importantly, friendships have formed across the world, with Chinese, Belgian and Canadian teenagers also among the Roland Garros ballkid contingent. While EJ and Jackson admit that communicating in a different language can at times be challenging, both have been practising their French throughout their three-week trip and are grateful for the efforts of their French counterparts.
“It's hard when they don't speak English, but when they do, it feels so good to be included,” said EJ. “Because you know that they're choosing to speak a different language for them … challenging themselves with English just so they can be included.”
The Top Gun ballkids have also brought a little piece of Australia to Paris, with a different kind of football becoming an unlikely hit among the Roland Garros contingent.
Introduced by their Australian teammates, a Sherrin quickly sparked curiosity among their international counterparts, with French ballkids enthusiastically embracing some Aussie Rules basics.
"I brought that out in our room, everyone's just always kicking it around, like the whole time, especially after dinner or when we get back to the hotel," said Jackson. "We're always just hand passing it and kicking it."
It's a fitting symbol of an exchange that has broadened horizons in both directions, rewarding the Australian Open 2026 Top Gun Ballkids with an unforgettable Paris adventure.
While missing Year 10 exams back home in Melbourne was no small sacrifice, both teenagers believe the experience will stay with them long after Roland Garros is over.
"I think it's really inspired me to go a bit more out of my comfort zone because definitely being here is out of my comfort zone," said EJ.
"And having to really exert myself socially and make an effort to meet people, especially people who can't always communicate with me easily. I think it's important to still put yourself out there, and it's inspired me to do more of that."
Jackson believes the friendships formed in Paris have reinforced some key skills in connecting with others.
"Just welcoming people," he said when asked what he would take away from the trip. "Because we know how it feels not to be directly French-speaking, and all the people who involve us, it really helps.
"I think I'll take that away with me – making sure other people feel welcome too."