Tennis Balls and Their Containers

From simple cardboard boxes holding four or six balls to commemorative tins and specialized equipment, the ways tennis balls have been packaged tell their own story. Until the early 1970s balls were traditionally white. In 1972, the International Tennis Federation introduced the optic yellow ball, chosen for its improved visibility on colour television. While some tournaments, including Wimbledon, continued with white balls for several years, the bright yellow soon became the standard. This small change marked a new era in tennis history, where tradition met technology — and visibility shaped the modern game.

Collectors today cherish special editions, like Donnay four-ball boxes, Wilson 100th Anniversary tins, Tretorn six-ball tins marking a century of tennis, and even vintage ball presses like the Edgeroy. This page showcases the variety of containers and balls, illustrating how both function and design have evolved over the decades.