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What does Wimbledon do with old balls?

Author

Mia Kelly

Published Jan 15, 2026

In all matches used balls will be replaced by new balls at the conclusion of the first seven games and thereafter at the conclusion of every ninth game. Subject to availability, used tennis balls will be sold from the Wimbledon Foundation kiosk near Court 14, with the proceeds donated to the Wimbledon Foundation.

What do they do with old balls tennis?

They are recyclable and can be ground up and used to make rubber flooring. US non-profit Green Ball is working on a range of durable uses for old tennis balls including, fittingly, making tennis courts.

Can you keep the tennis ball at Wimbledon?

When they are not being used for a match, the balls are refrigerated. Wimbledon previously used white tennis balls, but these were replaced by yellow ones because these showed up better on television.

Where do they keep the balls at Wimbledon?

How many balls are used during the Wimbledon fortnight? Approximately 54,000 tennis balls are used every year in the Wimbledon tennis tournament. And if you're wondering how they're kept in such pristine condition, amusingly they're stored in a refrigerated container at exactly 68°F to ensure the perfect service!

How much are used balls at Wimbledon?

Subject to availability used balls are sold daily. £2.50 per can of three. Proceeds go to the Wimbledon Foundation.

27 related questions found

Why did Roland Garros change balls?

Roland Garros has switched to Wilson balls for the 2020 tournament after using Babolat for many years. "You have to take care because with these conditions you can't practise that much because the ball is super heavy," the second-seeded Spaniard told reporters on Friday. "Different brand than last year, a new ball.

Why do they change balls in tennis?

It all comes down to hair. The hair on a new tennis ball tends to be smoothed flat, while a ball that's been knocked around a bit will be more fluffy. Tennis players may check three balls or more before serving so that they can select one smooth ball and one fluffy ball. The smooth ball is used for the first serve.

Do tennis balls lose their bounce?

And remember, much a like an opened soda can that goes flat, an opened tennis can will lose their bounce as well, even if they are unused. Once they lose their bounce, which will be considerably noticeable, they are dead. Make sure to leave those ones behind or gift them to your dog!

Why are Wimbledon balls kept in fridge?

Throughout history, fridges have been deployed at the side of courts to maintain the consistency of bounce in every ball while they're waiting to be used. The 53,000 balls used at the tournament will be kept at 20 degrees until it's their time to shine.

Can fans keep tennis balls?

Because at the U.S. Open and other organized tournaments, it's a rule: Fans must throw back foul balls. Instead of keeping balls that fly into the seats, spectators are expected to politely return them.

How much do tennis balls last?

So how long do tennis balls really last? Tennis balls will go bad after about 2 weeks or 3-4 playing sessions. Unopened tennis balls are kept in a pressurized tube to help them retain bounciness and firmness, but even those will expire after two years (due to very tiny leaks).

How often are the balls changed in tennis?

The tennis balls must be approved by the International Tennis Federation (ITF). The tennis balls in Grand Slams, ATP and WTA tournaments are changed after seven games and after every nine games thereafter. There are six balls in play in these events.

How long do tennis balls take to decompose?

Did you know that a tennis ball takes 400 years to decompose? Nationwide, approximately 125 million used tennis balls wind up in America's landfills every year. That is 20,000 metric tons of methane-producing, near non-decomposable rubber waste.

Are tennis balls biodegradable?

Tennis balls are also essentially designed to be non-biodegradable, single-use, disposable products, especially at the professional competition level. During production, tennis balls are filled with pressurized air, which makes the balls bouncy, and then packaged in pressurized, plastic cans to keep the balls bouncy.

How do you make tennis balls last longer?

sensible answers only please. Place three balls in a microwave on high and Nuke them. The balls will bounce higher. That bounce may last 30 minutes or more.

Do tennis balls expire?

You might be surprised to know that a sealed or unopened can of pressurised tennis balls won't last forever. In fact, an unopened can of tennis balls will usually last around 2 years unopened. That's because the pressure in a can of tennis balls will slowly leak out over time through micro leaks in the packaging.

How do you revive old tennis balls?

Put a replacement car tire valve in the center of a screw cap that fits the threads. Slip the balls inside, screw the cap on tightly, and use any air pump or compressor to pump up the inside of the tube to the pressure you want the balls to have inside. Wait, and check pressure on the device every week.

What is a dead tennis ball?

A dead tennis ball signifies a ball that is old and has lost its bounce. In other words, it becomes flat and bounces much less than a ball fresh from the can. Depending on its use a new ball can become dull within just one session of constant hitting for a few hours.

Do tennis balls break?

You'll be surprised how many tennis balls actually break during fast serve contests and warmups in higher level tournies. I've seen 3 out of 21 break within 10 minutes in hot weather A/Open practices.

What is the pressure inside a tennis ball?

Unlike other types of balls, tennis balls feature higher air pressure on the inside rather than the outside. The pressure pushing against the inside of the ball sits at around 27 pounds per square inch.

What happens to the tennis balls after Wimbledon?

The balls are sold at the All England Tennis Club and funds raised are donated to charities such as the Balls for Schools scheme which helps support the tennis stars of the future. Two years ago, 350 balls were donated to the Wildlife Trust who used them as nest boxes for harvest mice!

Which tennis balls last longest?

Pressureless balls are the best tennis balls for a ball machine since they last longer. Most high level or professional players do not use pressureless balls. They are mostly for amateur play. You can usually buy pressureless tennis balls in high quantities for practicing.

Do new tennis balls bounce higher than old ones?

The more a ball squishes on contact with a surface, the less efficiently it bounces back. More energy gets lost. That's why when you drop a brand new one and an old one right next to each other, the new one will bounce noticeably higher.

What balls does the French Open use?

Wilson balls will be used for the second year at the French Open 2021. Prior to the use of Wilson balls, the tournament was conducted using balls made by Babolat. It was a trusted product, and as it was designed ideal for conditions on a clay court, players did not complain.

What balls do they use at the French Open?

WILSON X ROLAND-GARROS

Wilson® becomes the Official Ball and the Official Stringing Partner of Roland-Garros. Wilson will provide a new co-branded, high-performance tennis ball designed specifically for the famous clay courts of Roland-Garros.