What colour are tennis balls? Are they yellow? Are they green? It’s a divisive question that has torn the tennis community apart for years… until now. Read on to find out exactly what colour tennis balls are according to the official rules, popular opinion backed by survey data and, of course, a pro’s opinion.
What Colour Are Tennis Balls? - The Short Answer
Officially, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) states that tennis balls must either be yellow or white. These days most (if not all) are a specific type of fluorescent yellow known as “optic yellow”. What’s more, according to survey results, most people in the US and the UK say tennis balls are yellow.
Roger Federer's Opinion
For some tennis fans, it will be enough to know what the great Roger Federer thinks. When asked a few years back, while in Chicago during the Laver Cup, whether tennis balls are green or yellow, Federer said: “they’re yellow, right?”.
Roger Federer settles the "What color is a tennis ball?" debate. 🎾🤔
— SB Nation (@SBNation) March 20, 2018
(📹: @delaneyanndold) pic.twitter.com/Vb9OdRqg79
However, the answer of a single person may not be enough to convince everyone that tennis balls are yellow, even if it is the opinion of one of the greatest tennis players in history. We know that people perceive colours in different ways and, therefore, it seems natural to factor in the opinion of as many people as possible.
The Colour of Tennis Balls - According to Data
YouGov recently conducted a survey in both the US and the UK and the results are somewhat surprising…
In the US, YouGov surveyed a total 9,166 adults and found that 55% of people say that tennis balls are yellow, compared to only 38% of people who say they are green. The remaining 7% remain undecided. However, another interesting finding from the survey results is that the answer changes based on age. Of those surveyed, only 40% of people aged 18-29 said a tennis ball is yellow, compared to the 72% of people aged 65+. It seems that the younger generations believe tennis balls are green, while more people from older generations know tennis balls to be yellow.
YouGov repeated the survey in the United Kingdom, this time asking 6,240 UK adults what colour a tennis ball is. The overall result was the same, though the results were a little more one-sided. A total of 64% of respondents said that tennis balls are yellow, with only 32% saying they are green and just 4% not quite knowing what to say. As for the splits by age groups, we see the same pattern emerge. In the UK, 66% of people aged 18-25 say tennis balls are green while a resounding 89% of people aged 65+ say they are yellow.
So, as far a popular opinion goes, it’s pretty safe to say that most people believe tennis balls are yellow. But if that still isn’t enough to convince you, the answer to the debate lies in none other than the ITF Official Tennis Rulebook.
The Official Colour of Tennis Balls
According to the ITF Official Tennis Rulebook, tennis balls must be either yellow or white. These days, white tennis balls are a rarity and most tennis balls used in both professional and recreational tennis are in fact yellow. More specifically, the ITF officially recognises the fluorescent yellow colour as “optic yellow”.
White Tennis Balls Before 1972
While it may come as no surprise to some of the older tennis fans and players, most modern tennis fans will be shocked to know that tennis balls haven’t always been yellow. In fact, since the early days of the game in the 1800s, tennis was traditionally played with white tennis balls. However, in the early 1970s, colour televisions became the norm and fans watching the sport on tv reported issues keeping track of the white ball. So, in 1972, the Internal Tennis Federation changes the official tennis rules to introduce the yellow tennis ball, the colour of which is known as “optic yellow”. Naturally, there was a transitionary period during which both white and yellow tennis balls were used in professional events. It wasn’t until 1986 that the Wimbledon Championships gave up on the white ball and adopted the yellow tennis ball which is still used today. That being said, the ITF Official Rulebook states that balls must be yellow or white, meaning white tennis balls could still officially be used at an event should they choose to use them.
So, that’s the debate settled. According to the ITF Official Rulebook, survey data from the US and the UK and the opinion of one Roger Federer, tennis balls are yellow. Still not convinced, be sure to let us know your opinion in the comments below.
