*Editor's note: we have previously mentioned in our article that venue support volunteers have to ensure that the doors remain shut throughout the entire match. However, it is the aisle gates that remain shut during game play. We have since corrected the article to reflect the change.

Ever wondered what goes on behind-the-scenes at an international tennis event?

Do you have any idea how much resources it takes to host a world-class tournament like the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global this week?

The answer is likely no and no.

Well, allow us to help you out:

In 2015, a total of 3,240 tennis balls were used over 13 sessions of singles and doubles matches -- that’s like, 249 balls per session and 28 balls per match.

3km of string was also used by the players -- that’s 280 racquets restrung for 28 players, or 10 racquets for every player.

All these in a span of a week. (Not that I’m a pro, but I probably only restring my racquet once a year.)

This year, there will be 300 volunteers helping out at the event, 90 of whom will be ushering spectators alone.

12 training sessions were also conducted over 5 months for 30 ball kids -- so that they will be agile and focused enough to know how to read and coordinate with the players on court.

Sounds pretty tremendous eh?

The art of making the game perfect

These numbers made several questions pop up in our heads:

“Need to train so much to be ball kid meh?”

“249 tennis balls per session -- why so many?”

“90 ushers?! Singapore Indoor Stadium not so big what.”

Actually when all we’re focused on is how good the tennis, we never think about how much effort it takes to pull off the WTA Finals in Singapore.

Fact is, there are people on the ground who commit themselves to being as invisible as possible, working together like gears in a well-oiled machine to make sure the event goes on without a hitch.

Like the saying goes, it’s 10 years of hard work for 10 minutes of fame on the stage. Something along those lines (please don’t quote us).

Training to be ball kids

Given that the tennis players grab all the spotlight on the courts, ball kids practically go unseen. Nobody realises they’re there, but they have to train hard for their roles.

Their job goes far beyond just picking up and passing balls; they have to be quick to read the players and sensitive to the mood on court as well.

“Without the ball kids’ support, the match will go haywire because the players will have to fetch the balls, which is tiresome. Serving the player is very important because everything they have should be put on the court,” said 15-year-old Sathya, who will debut as a ball kid this year.

Given the level of performance and agility required of them on court, they’d expected training to be more intense than just 12 sessions of training. #nokidding

300 Spartans volunteers

Another group of invisible warriors who ensure the WTA Finals are carried out smoothly are the volunteers.

Overseeing the massive group of 300 volunteers are the team leaders, who basically do everything.

Think of them as the HR. From interviewing the volunteers, conducting briefings, creating rosters, to managing the volunteers’ welfare – they are the class monitors, without the credit.

“Ushers [venue support volunteers] do more than just show people to their seat. We need to remind spectators about the right etiquette so that they will not disturb the match. We also have to make sure that the aisle gates remain shut during play,” said Yong Feeh, 47, who is a volunteer team leader at this year’s WTA Finals.

With 11 sessions and up to 40 gates to manage, it’s no wonder why venue support volunteers make up close to one-third (90 of 300) of all volunteers.

But they are likely to be the most taken for granted ground staff members -- because we only notice them when there’s nobody around to show us to our seats. Don’t deny it.

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Making the WTA Finals sustainable

There is also an ongoing challenge to keep the WTA Finals friendly to the environment.

Why? So we can continue to have nice things AND a nice, healthy earth at the same time.

At the WTA Finals, new balls are constantly brought on court so that players don’t have to use scruffed up balls with less bounce and speed.  And the amount of electricity and air-conditioning at the Singapore Indoor Stadium can be tremendous.

So one of the event sponsors, Asia Pulp & Paper (APP), has stepped up to help offset the carbon footprint of the event.

APP’s efforts include planting a tree for every ace scored during the event. Trees will also be planted in honour of every APP guest at the event, on a two-hectare plot of land in Riau, Sumatra.

So here’s to many aces. And many trees.

This sponsored post sustains Mothership.sg writers so that we can enjoy world-class tennis players serving aces.

Top image courtesy of WTA Finals.

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