What is the significance of the colors of the tennis balls?

The color of a tennis ball plays an important role in the game. Tennis balls are either yellow or white, and the difference between the two colors has to do with their intended use.

Yellow tennis balls are used for most professional and amateur tennis matches, while white tennis balls are used for practice and training. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) specifies that all tennis balls used in tournaments sanctioned by them must be yellow or optic yellow. The reason for this is that the bright color of the ball makes it more visible to players and spectators, especially when played on television.

White tennis balls were traditionally used in the game, but they were found to be difficult to see on certain surfaces, particularly grass courts. The use of yellow balls has also been shown to improve the performance of players with color-vision deficiencies, making it easier for them to track the ball as it moves across the court.