Tennis balls are yellow because that specific bright “optic yellow” is easier for players, spectators, and TV cameras to see than the old white balls, especially once tennis started being broadcast in color on television in the 1970s.

Why Are Tennis Balls Yellow?

From White (and Black) To Neon

For a long time, tennis balls weren’t yellow at all.

  • Early balls were commonly white (and sometimes black), chosen because they contrasted well with traditional court surfaces.
  • This worked well enough for in‑person play, but things changed once tennis became a major TV sport.

Once color television spread in the 1960s–70s, broadcasters ran into a problem: white balls were surprisingly hard to track on screen, especially against players’ clothing, bright skies, and different court colors.

Viewers would literally lose the ball mid‑rally, which is not ideal when you’re trying to sell a fast, exciting sport.

The TV Revolution: Enter “Optic Yellow”

Research in the late 1960s and early 1970s looked for a color that would:

  • Stand out on all court types (grass, clay, hard).
  • Pop on color TV cameras and home TV sets.
  • Stay visible even as the ball was moving very fast.

Tests found that a fluorescent shade dubbed “optic yellow” was the most visible choice.

It’s a highly saturated, almost neon color that human eyes pick up very quickly, especially against darker or more muted backgrounds. In 1972 , the International Tennis Federation (ITF) updated the rules to allow this fluorescent yellow as an official ball color (alongside white).

The aim was explicit: improve visibility for players in stadiums and for viewers watching on TV.

Once big events and TV networks embraced the new balls, the bright yellow quickly became the standard. Today, most people can’t even imagine tennis balls being any other color.

Why Yellow Works So Well

A few reasons optic yellow is especially effective:

  • High contrast : It pops against green grass, red/orange clay, and blue or dark hard courts.
  • Human vision sensitivity : Our eyes are particularly sensitive to yellow‑green wavelengths, so the ball “jumps out” visually in motion.
  • Fluorescent pigments : The special dye reflects more light and can look almost like it’s glowing in daylight.

This makes it easier to:

  • Judge the ball’s speed and spin.
  • Track it in bright sun or under stadium lights.
  • Follow it on TV, even with fast rallies and camera switches.

Are They Yellow or Green?

Fun twist: people argue about whether tennis balls are actually yellow or green.

  • Officially, the ITF calls the approved shade “optic yellow.”
  • Color codes for typical tennis balls sit in a yellow‑green area of the spectrum, which is why some people swear they look more lime or greenish.
  • Polls often split almost evenly between “yellow” and “green,” showing it’s partly about individual perception.

Some artists and players even say the balls seem to shift over their life:

  • Fresh out of the can: more neon, often perceived as yellow‑green.
  • After play and picking up court dust: they can look duller, sometimes a bit more green or dirty yellow.

Do All Tennis Balls Have To Be Yellow?

Not strictly.

  • The ITF rules officially allow yellow or white balls in sanctioned events.
  • In practice, professional tournaments overwhelmingly choose yellow because of the visibility advantages and viewer expectations.
  • Other colors (orange, red, etc.) are commonly used for beginner and junior balls to signal different speeds and to be extra eye‑catching for kids.

Quick Scoop (TL;DR)

  • Tennis balls used to be white (or black).
  • Color TV exposed a problem: white balls were hard to see on screen.
  • Tests showed a fluorescent “optic yellow” was easiest to see for players and TV audiences.
  • In 1972, the ITF approved yellow balls, and they rapidly became the global standard.
  • Officially they’re “optic yellow,” but fans still debate whether they look more yellow or green.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.