Upper West Siders Keep the Balls Rolling at US Open

By Tracy Zwick

The spotlight at the U.S. Open belongs to the players — the stylish shot-making of Carlos Alcaraz, the first-strike ferocity of Aryna Sabalenka, the bullet serve of Ben Shelton. But on the periphery, running sprints in the August heat, kneeling low at the net, or bounce-passing balls into players’ hands, are the members of the ball crew — more than 300 teens and adults who keep the biggest tennis tournament in the country humming. Some of them are your UWS neighbors. 

Fundamentally, the ball crew’s job is to keep track of all the balls in play, continuously “send” (i.e., roll) them back to the server’s end of the court, and “service” the players throughout each match. Jason Cust, who lives on Central Park West, has worked the Open for more than a decade, rising to become one of the most senior members of the crew. He’s stood behind Roger Federer in Arthur Ashe Stadium, run down the rare errant serve by Novak Djokovic, and shaded players like Iga Świątek from the blazing sun during changeovers. He once brought Venus Williams the cup of hot coffee she requested. Many bananas have been distributed to players during changeovers. 

“I try to be as invisible as I can,” Cust said. But it’s not easy to blend into the background when you have Cust’s military posture and Popeye muscles. A multi-marathoner, Cust says his physical prep for the Open is totally different from what he does before running.  “I’m using all these fast-twitch muscles I don’t use in running,” he says – “stopping on a dime, twisting, bending down.” As a ball crew chief, Cust also serves as a mentor to younger members of the team, providing feedback and encouragement.

At 18, UWSer Griffin Bounds is at the opposite end of the experience spectrum — though he’s no stranger to the Open’s spotlight. After two summers on the ball crew, Bounds went viral last year when he caught a serve on Louis Armstrong Stadium with a smooth, one-handed grab. The clip made the jumbotron and bounced around Instagram and TikTok, though Bounds himself, bound by USTA rules, wasn’t allowed to give interviews.

“I’d been trying all day to catch one,” he said, explaining that his placement in Armstrong was ideal for a highlights-reel grab. “There are ads along the back wall where we stand,” he said, “and we can’t block them. That pushes us really wide, so the serve’s coming right to you and the cameras are tuned on you too.” 

This year, Cust is back on the baseline. Bounds, however, is watching from his freshman-year college dorm. “He’s heartbroken he couldn’t do it this year,” his mother, Jenni Bounds, said. “It’s the best job in the world if you love tennis.”

A Veteran’s Experience

Cust joined the crew in 2015, working the boys’ junior final that year, which pitted Taylor Fritz against Tommy Paul. He’s watched these Americans make their way to number 4 (Fritz) and number 14 (Paul) in the world today. “It’s been fascinating to follow them from juniors to the tour,” Cust said, and he’s gotten early looks at much of today’s top talent.

He’s worked with a hall-of-fame worthy assortment of tennis stars: Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka and many more. 

With 11 Opens under his belt, Cust has also accumulated some bruises. “The balls are coming in so fast,” he explained. “Ben Shelton drilled me in the shoulder last year during warm-ups. It went straight up in the air before I even had time to react.”

A Teenager’s Turn

For Bounds, the Open has always been a family affair. His parents and grandparents have attended for more than 20 years, often bringing Griffin and his two younger brothers. “By the time I was old enough to apply to the ball crew, I was all in,” he said.

He made the cut at 14, joining a group that mixes middle schoolers with adults older than his parents. His most vivid memories are less about star power than camaraderie. “After shifts, we’d use our credentials to catch matches on Ashe,” he recalled. “We’d be there until midnight, then back the next morning to work. Ball kids don’t get free tickets, but some of the security guards were lenient with us and let us get really close if there were empty seats.”

Now Bounds is majoring in sports business at Samford University in Alabama and hoping to train for a walk-on spot with the school’s Division I tennis team. “I’ve always dreamed of playing tennis professionally,” he said. “Sports business ties it all together.”

The Work

“Make play as efficient as possible and make it easy for the players. That’s the job,” said Bounds. Absolutely no autographs, selfies or interacting with players is allowed while the ball crew is working. 

But “there are moments,” Bounds explained, “when I’d be holding an umbrella for a player between sets and they’d start a little conversation. I’ve looked up to these players my whole life. It’s cool to see them as just another person — who needs a banana.” 

Changes This Year

Cust said there are some key structural changes he’ll be adjusting to this year. Ball crews have been beefed up to eight members rather than the usual six, and crew members are no longer assigned to positions like “back” (behind the players), and “net.” They’ll rotate around the court. Crews used to be assigned to one court all day, but starting this year they travel. Shifts have been shortened from two hours to 90 minutes, to ensure the crew’s well-being in often searing heat. 

The perks, however, are the same: free uniforms, shoes and backpacks. Crew members are paid, plus they’re given a per diem for food. And, according to Cust, they’ve got the best “seats” in the house. 

Though Bounds won’t be on-site this year, he’s grateful for his three years with the ball crew and pleased to look back at the document he’s kept in his iPhone’s Notes app, listing every match he’s worked. “It was the best job I’ll ever have,” he said. “I’m definitely gonna miss it this year.”  

Meanwhile, UWSers can keep an eye out for Cust during prime time, where he’s worked plenty of marquee matches. But if you don’t notice him, it means he’s doing his job.

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