West Hampstead’s Tom Skinner has been selected to be a ball boy at this year’s ATP World Tour Finals, which will be held at the O2 Arena in London from November 15 to 22.
Skinner was one of 200 young hopefuls who were selected to attend trials in Manchester and London, and he will join a group of 30 ‘Barclays Ball Kids’ between the ages of 12 and 16 who will appear on court with players like Andy Murray and Roger Federer in front of thousands of spectators at the O2 and millions on TV.
Nathan Homer, head of global sponsorships for Barclays, said: “As well as the obvious excitement of being on court with their heroes, the Ball Kids are a flagship programme for our LifeSkills scheme that aims to give young people training and employability skills.
“Being on the court at the O2, with the world’s best players, watched by millions, certainly teaches you a few things about working as a team under pressure and we have high hopes for all the youngsters, who will learn new skills and have an experience of a lifetime.”
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