The Australian Open is just six days away and while the players are still fine-tuning their game, the tournament's 380 ball kids are ready to go.

Key points: Ball kids from China, France, Korea come to Melbourne for Australian Open

Ball kids from China, France, Korea come to Melbourne for Australian Open Successful applicants have undergone months of training

Successful applicants have undergone months of training This year's contingent met with Serena and Venus Williams in Melbourne today

Most have come through 12 months of applications, selections and training to be picked, and there is also an international contingent ready to prove their worth.

"I'm so excited. The best of the best come here, every single player," Isabella said.

Today the ball kids got a taste of the star power they would be mixing with over the next three weeks, meeting with Serena and Venus Williams in Melbourne.

"You sort of want to almost be friends with them, but at the same time you have to be really professional," Noah said.

Serena and Venus Williams met with the ball kids ahead of the Australian Open. ( AAP: Alex Murray )

Being a ball kid poses plenty of challenges, from Melbourne's 40 degrees Celsius temperatures to dealing with player tantrums.

"You've just got to ignore the heat, get on with your job, concentrate and make sure you're doing it to the best of your ability," Isabella said.

But you can always give them subtle hints.

"We have to perform well for everyone, but if someone's giving us a bit of a hard time we might throw them a bit of a half throw," Damian said.

Ball kids from France, China and Korea have travelled to Melbourne for this year's Open. ( ABC News: Peter Lusted )

Thousands of young people applied to be ball kids at the tournament.

Most of the Australian contingent started preparing for this year's tournament 12 months ago, with less than 20 per cent making it through the selection process.

"You start in March … and then you move onto another try-out, which is in about July, and then once a month you do training sessions," Noah said.

"Then the last cut is in October."

Twenty-eight ball kids at this year's Open are from overseas — two from France, six from China and 20 from Korea.

For the ball kids from Korea, the selection process was even more rigorous.

"Twenty out of 1,480 [got selected]. That was very hard," said Goon, who will be taking part in his first Open as a ball boy.

The Australian Open runs in Melbourne from January 16 to January 29.