Brisbane taking the “ballkid towel handling” to a new level (updated)

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BRISBANE, Australia – It’s been a … time for the “ballkids handling the towels” dossier lately.

We’ve gone from the COVID-inspired (and commonsensical) move to players handling their own sweaty towels to the ATP reinstituting the ballkids delivering them to the players. With the WTA following suit. Or not. Depending.

But over the weekend at the Brisbane International, they’ve been taking it to an entirely new level.

There are towel boxes on all four corners of the court. And, of course, at the players’ chairs.

But that’s not enough; each player on court during the qualifying on Saturday had their own personal towel deliverer.

The two lucky volunteers would sit on the side of the court, and hold the sweaty towel in a plastic basket. And, when summoned (even if the corner towel box was actually closer, in some cases), they would scurry up with the plastic basket and the player would help themselves and do what had to be done.

If the player was walking around during this process, their dedicated towel deliverer would just shadow them around the court.

And, of course, they would change sides when the player changed sides – so as not to deliver the incorrect towel.

Pics: Djokovic is back, and Brisbane has him

To be fair, it was brutally hot and humid over the weekend, and a lot of the players struggled with the sweat (and the heat). So much towelling was needed.

Still, it’s definitely overkill. We’ve gone past the 360-degree turn on this issue.

UPDATE: Well, we thought we had. Until we saw the doubles.