David is the ball boy manager; he manages a team of more than three hundred people who gather in Paris every year, during the three weeks of Roland-Garros.

“I’ve done this job since 2003 [...] it is a celebration of tennis, it’s a pleasure to be here,” he tells us over his Iced Cappuccino that staves off the day’s heat. Most are boys between the ages of twelve and sixteen, from schools all over the country.

All candidates must prove themselves by showing good results at school and on the tennis court, to earn their three weeks with us at Roland-Garros. David explains how his work consists of managing this huge team, including court maintenance managers and supervisors of individual groups.

Even rain cannot stop the well-oiled machine of David’s team and, often, there are unexpected rewards for all the effort: “Two years ago there was a small break due to bad weather. Novak Djokovic invited a ball boy to sit with him. It was a wonderful moment, they clinked glasses with each other and the audience was delighted by the spectacle, fantastic! A nice advertisement for the tournament and for our job.”