Best Tennis Balls 2024: The Top Picks for Your Next Match

Sure, all fuzzy yellow tennis balls may look the same at a glance, but you may be surprised at how much a ball’s composition can affect your gameplay. You need the right tennis ball to suit your performance needs and court type, so after plenty of research, time on the court, and a sore wrist, we’re happy to point beginners and seasoned pros in the right direction to find tennis balls they’ll love.

How did we pick the best tennis balls?

We selected the best tennis balls available based upon countless hours of research, hands-on testing, and our own extensive experience. Durability, ball control, performance, and value for your purchase were some of the many considerations we had in mind as we sorted through a sizable range of tennis balls.

How to choose the best tennis ball for you

Let’s start with the factors you should consider when choosing a tennis ball:

Player proficiency: Novices should start out by investing in inexpensive, pressureless, and special beginner-friendly tennis balls that are lighter, brightly colored, and generally easier to control. Longtime players will get more value out of pressurized tennis balls for the fine-tuned control, reliable bounce, and the advanced performance these kinds of balls are made for.

Court type: Whether you plan on playing indoors or on grass, clay, or a hard surface, there is a tennis ball made to provide a premium performance for your preferred court type. It’s absolutely worth your time to seek out a tennis ball to match your favorite court to get the most out of your matches and practice time.

Practice vs. competition: If you’re returning serves from a machine or having a light game with a friend, consider buying a few pressureless tennis balls. These balls will give you the most bang for your buck due to their longevity, especially if you’re just starting out.

For advanced players, you’ll want to invest in a few tubes of premium pressurized balls for the precise control, consistent bounce, and overall performance you need to play your best. If you’re going up against another top-tier player we highly advise looking for especially durable models, because it’s especially disappointing to watch lesser tennis balls come apart after a few hard-hitting matches.

Types of tennis balls

There are way more types of tennis balls than you may have realized, especially if you’re new to the sport. Here are the main ones you’ll encounter:

Pressurized: These balls are filled with pressurized air for a lighter and bouncier feel right out of the can. These are best for professional play, but aren’t as durable as pressureless balls and tend to lose their consistency anywhere from two to nine days after their pressurized container has been opened.

Pressureless: Heavier and far sturdier than pressurized tennis balls, pressureless balls are best reserved for practice and lighthearted matches, since it takes a little more force to effectively hit the ball back.

High-altitude: These are specialized, pressurized tennis balls with a lower air pressure than regular pressurized balls, making them slower and easier to control in altitudes of 4,000 feet and above. This is needed, as normal pressurized balls travel far more quickly and are much bouncier at high elevations.

Practice: For practice sessions, many people prefer these sturdy, pressurized balls that are often a little larger, softer, lighter, and vibrantly colored, to help new players to practice their footwork, swing, and learn to track the ball while playing.

All-court: Designed for all court surfaces, from indoor and carpet to clay and grass.

Regular Duty: Optimized for clay and grass courts, these balls feature shorter felt to minimize dirt and debris collection while playing.

Extra Duty: These are made for hard courts, and feature a thicker felt exterior to absorb the impact from repeatedly bouncing on solid surfaces.

The most popular tennis ball brands

There are many competing tennis ball brands on the market, but some of the biggest and most popular include Dunlop, Penn, Wilson, and Franklin.

These brands are well-respected by players and fans, and major tennis events are known for adopting an official ball. For example, the French Open has claimed the Wilson Roland Garros as theirs.

What makes a good tennis ball?

It doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned professional or are picking up the racket for the first time, some of the most important aspects to consider when looking for great tennis balls include:

• A consistent bounce level and an overall long-lasting bounce
• Durability: Sturdier tennis balls will let you play for longer without burning through a new tube of balls too quickly
• A reliably consistent performance, delivering the amount of spin, comfort, weight, and overall control that you need
• Value for your money

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

What are tennis balls made of?

The exterior shell of a tennis ball is made of two pieces of rubber, lined with fine wool or nylon. The inside of a competition-grade tennis ball is filled with pressurized gas for that extra bounciness and fine-tuned control needed for pro-level play.

What is the purpose of the yellow color on tennis balls?

Although tennis balls are available in a rainbow of vibrant hues, yellow tennis balls are the norm because the International Tennis Federation decided, in 1972, that neon-yellow would make it especially easy for viewers to keep track of the ball when watching tennis matches on TV.

How long do tennis balls last?

For competitive play, tennis balls last anywhere between one to three hours of nonstop play, but the average tennis player will get one to four weeks out of their tennis balls.

As a side-note, pressurized tennis balls will last approximately two years, as long as the container’s seal remains intact, but unpressurized tennis balls will last anywhere from one to three years of regular use before they should be replaced.

Why do tennis balls lose their bounce over time?

Pressurized tennis balls lose their bounce as the pressurized gas within slowly leaks out. The more you play, the more quickly tennis balls leak that internal air, but note that tennis balls in storage are slowly leaking and losing their signature bounce as well. This is why it’s better to buy pressurized tennis balls from retailers that regularly sell tennis balls, so you avoid the risk of buying a bad batch.

Are there different types of tennis balls for different court surfaces?

Absolutely! While you may be used to standard pressurized tennis balls, other varieties include “extra duty” for hard courts, “regular duty” for clay courts, and “high-altitude” balls for playing at elevations of 4,000 feet or higher.

What is the standard size and weight of a tennis ball?

According to the International Tennis Federation, a tennis ball should weigh between 1.98 to 2.10 ounces, and have a diameter of between 2.575 inches and 2.7 inches.

How are tennis balls tested for quality and performance?

There are multiple specialized tests run within the International Tennis Federation Laboratory to ensure that certified tennis balls are worthy of tournament-level play. This climate-controlled lab uses precise testing equipment to check deformity level (how the ball changes shape after getting hit by tennis rackets,) level of rebound, and overall durability.

For example, tennis balls are dropped from a height of 100 inches onto a flat granite block from a vacuum tube as a camera records the bounce height. Advanced computer software analyzes the exact height bounced to measure its rebound.