The story of tennis balls begins over 700 years ago with Real Tennis, the predecessor to modern tennis. In the 1400s, this “Sport of Kings” used balls made of cork, fabric, and heavy woolen cloth. These primitive balls didn’t bounce and varied widely in composition, sometimes even containing animal intestines!
The Birth of Lawn Tennis and Rubber Balls
The 1870s marked a significant turning point when lawn tennis began to replace Real Tennis. Walter Clopton Wingfield, a Welsh inventor, imported rubber balls from Germany. These early rubber balls were light, grey or red in color, and lacked any covering. It wasn’t until 1882 that John Moyer Heathcote suggested covering the rubber balls with flannel, laying the foundation for the modern tennis ball.
The Rubber Revolution and World War II
The 1920s saw the introduction of the first rubber-based tennis balls, which were more durable and easier to hit. Dunlop entered the market in 1923, producing balls with a rubber core covered by canvas or fabric. However, World War II disrupted tennis ball manufacturing, as most rubber was diverted to the war effort. This led to innovations like Wilson’s “Victory” ball, made from reclaimed rubber.
Post-War Innovations: Pressurized Balls and Synthetic Materials
The 1950s brought another leap forward with the introduction of pressurized tennis balls. These balls, filled with gas or air mixture and sealed in a rubber casing, offered more consistent bounce and were less affected by temperature and humidity. The 1970s and 1980s saw the introduction of synthetic materials like polyurethane and polyester, further improving ball durability and performance.
The Yellow Revolution: Enhancing Visibility
One of the most noticeable changes in tennis ball history occurred in 1972 when the International Tennis Federation (ITF) introduced yellow tennis balls. This shift from the traditional white was driven by the need for better visibility on television. Wimbledon, always a bastion of tradition, finally adopted yellow balls in 1986.
Technological Advancements: The Stevens Machine and Beyond
The 1920s also saw the development of the “Stevens Machine,” which measured ball compression and led to more complete ITF specifications. In 1966, a measurement for “return compression” was introduced, addressing the elasticity of non-pressurized balls developed in the 1960s.
Sustainability Concerns
The early 2000s brought further refinements to tennis ball specifications, including the introduction of harder and softer balls for different playing conditions, larger diameter balls, and high-altitude specifications. Today, tennis ball manufacturing is a precise science, with Wilson’s factory in Bangkok producing 100 million balls annually through a 24-step process.However, the popularity of tennis balls comes with environmental concerns. With over 325 million balls sold worldwide each year, and many ending up in landfills, the tennis industry faces the challenge of improving sustainability and reducing its environmental impact.As we look to the future, the humble tennis ball continues to evolve, balancing tradition with innovation. From its origins in Real Tennis to today’s high-tech spheres, the tennis ball remains at the heart of a sport enjoyed by millions worldwide.
Specifications
The Yellow Ball Historically, balls were either black or white in colour, depending on the background colour of the courts.
In 1972 the ITF introduced yellow tennis balls into the rules of tennis, as research had shown these balls to be more visible to television viewers. Meanwhile Wimbledon continued to use the traditional white ball, but eventually adopted yellow balls in 1986. Until high altitude balls were introduced into the rules in 1989, only one type of tennis ball was allowed. The Type 1 and Type 3 balls were introduced into the rules in 2002.
Other properties of the tennis ball which have changed over time include: • The range of forward and return deformations – the change in the ball’s diameter under an increasing and decreasing load of 8.165 kg – have varied over the years, reaching their current values in 1996. • The current acceptable mass range is 56.0-59.4 grams. This last changed in 2000 (from 56.7- 58.5 grams). • The current acceptable range for ball diameter is 6.54 cm to 6.86 cm for a Type 2 ball. This specification last changed in 1966 (from 2.575-2.675 inches).
Types of Tennis Balls
Pressureless – These balls have solid cores and a long life span. They don’t lose their bounce, but the felt of the ball wears off faster than any other type of ball. These types of balls can be used for any surface and are often used for beginners or recreational play.
Pressurized – These balls have a hollow core filled with air or nitrogen. They come in sealed cans but they begin losing their bounce shortly after the can is opened. These balls are typically used for professional tennis tournaments and this is a high performance ball, bouncing higher than pressuresless tennis balls.
Regular duty – This ball is the best option for both indoor play and clay court use. These balls typically have a thinner felt and are more suitable for a softer surface.
Extra duty – This ball is the ideal choice when playing on concrete/hard court or on a grass court and has a thicker felt so it will be more durable over a longer period of time.
High Altitude – This ball is, according to the ITF, suitable for areas of the world that are 4,000 feet or more above sea level. They were first introduced in 1989. A regular ball in high altitude bounces very high, whereas a high altitude ball is more controlled.
Timeline of Tennis Balls
| YEAR | EVENT |
| 1400s | Real Tennis begins in England, using balls made of cork, fabric, and woolen cloth |
| 1300s | Tennis balls documented with French aristocracy |
| 1844 | Charles Goodyear invented vulcanized rubber |
| 1870s | Lawn tennis replaces real tennis |
| 1870s | Walter Clopton Wingfield imports rubber balls from Germany |
| 1882 | John Heathcote uses rubber balls with flannel, leading to modern tennis ball design |
| 1920s | Development of the “Stevens Machine” to measure ball compression |
| 1920s | Tennis balls pressurized for greater bounce and speed |
| 1923 | Dunlop enters the tennis ball market with rubber-based balls covered in canvas or fabric |
| 1926 | Penn invented airtight cylindrical metal tube for tennis balls |
| 1927 | Wilson offered their own version of the pressurized tube |
| 1950s | Introduction of the first pressurized tennis balls |
| 1966 | ITF introduces “return compression” measurement using a modified Stevens machine |
| 1967 | Sir David Attenborough suggested fluorescent yellow balls for visibility |
| 1972 | ITF changed standard ball color to optic yellow |
| 1972 | ITF introduces yellow tennis balls for better TV visibility |
| 1977 | Tretorn’s pressureless tennis ball used in the French Open final |
| 1986 | Wimbledon adopted yellow balls |
| 1989 | High altitude balls introduced into the rules |
| 1996 | Current ranges for forward and return deformations established |
| 2000 | Current acceptable mass range for tennis balls established |
| 2015 | Tennis ball recycling system established |
Timeline of Tennis Balls
