The Madrid Open is back in the firing line over their controversial decision to replace ball kids with models.
Romanian businessman Ion Tiriac made the call back in 2004 to replace the usual line-up of youngsters with models in busty tank tops and mini skirts.
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Former world number one Andre Agassi said the move made it difficult to concentrate during matches in the Spanish capital.
“It was difficult, to say the least, to concentrate on the ball,” he said in 2004.
“But I suppose I had an advantage, I’m used to playing with my wife. I need some time to let it absorb.
“It’s important for our sport to understand its product clearly … but I’m not quite convinced it’s part of our product.”
The models are only used on the centre court, La Caja Magica Stadium, which plays host to the biggest matches of the tournament.
Debate was reignited throughout the 2023 tournament after a TikTok user posted a now viral video showing off the difference in the outfits worn by the models and ballkids used on outer courts.
The video was uploaded to TikTok by user @itslizasworld, who says she was a ballkid at Wimbledon, pointed out the stark contrast in outfits worn by the models and ballkids used outside of centre court.
The regular ball kids wear conservative outfits consisting of shorts and shirts while the models wear much shorter skirts and cropped black tank tops.
Over the years the backlash over the decision has come in thick and fast, but now it’s going to a new level.
Fans far and wide are calling out the tournament over what many have dubbed a sexist move that objectifies women for ratings.
Spanish government official Soledad Murillo said the introduction of models “contributes to fomenting clear discrimination towards women who appear as simple objects of decoration and amusement”.
Australian tennis great Rennae Stubbs labelled the move “ridiculous”, but she wasn’t alone in condemning the decision.
The ballkid controversy in the Spanish capital is a far cry from the issue that was raised during the Australian Open when fans discovered ballkids aren’t paid a dime.
Around 2500 kids apply to be ballkids every year, with less than one in five of them actually successful after a year-long selection process.
“How is this not child exploitation?” asked one Reddit user, noting that Australian Open ballkids were paid until they were reclassified as volunteers in 2008.
“It isn’t unreasonable to suggest the ballkids get paid for their time,” said another.
“It’s the sports version of artists getting paid in exposure.”
While Australian ballkids swelter in the summer heat for the promise of being up close with their idols and a prize pack that in the past has included GoPros, bluetooth speakers and headphones, other Grand Slams remunerate the children that are essential to keeping the tournament going.
The All-England Club has a similarly rigorous selection process for ballkids when Wimbledon rolls around, but they’re paid a stipend of £200 a week ($351 AUD).
The United States Tennis Association, organisers of the US Open, also pay their ballkids a wage, although it typically sits at the New York minimum wage of around $15 AUD an hour.