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At last year’s French Open, for example, Miyu Kato and her doubles partner were forced to forfeit a match when Kato accidentally hit a ball girl in the neck with a ball after a point at Court 14.

Thibault-DuDonis became a ball girl on her dad’s team and became friends with players such as Lindsay Whalen and Brooke Wyckoff, who eventually became coaches themselves, and mentors to Thibault-DuDonis.

Even 13-year-old Izabella Christofoletti, who plays soccer for her school and a club team, and has been a ball girl for several Women’s World Cup matches, can talk about how soccer lags behind rugby in interest.

Kato, who apologised to the ball girl, was penalised by losing her prize money and ranking points.

Japan's Miyu Kato won the French Open mixed doubles title four days after what she called an "unjust" disqualification for hitting a ball girl with a ball in the women's event.