Well, how big is a tennis ball, you ask? Let me tell ya, it ain’t the size of a watermelon, that’s for sure!
I’ve seen them things bounced around enough to know they’re smaller than your fist, most likely. They gotta be round, you know, like a little ball. Not like them fancy footballs they throw around on TV. Them’s a different story altogether.
Now, they got rules for these tennis balls, see? Can’t just be any old size. Some fellas up there decided on how big and how heavy they gotta be. They say it’s gotta be a certain number of inches across, somethin’ like two and a half to two point seven inches, I think. That’s, uh… let’s see, about this much . Yeah, somewhere around there.
And if you go around the whole ball, like wrapping a string around it, they say that’s gotta be between eight and eight and a half inches or so. My grandson, he’s good with numbers, he could tell ya exactly. But for us old folks, close enough is good enough, right?
- So, first thing, it’s gotta be round. Like a little globe.
- Then, it’s gotta be the right size across, you know, the middle part. They call that the “diameter,” fancy word for how wide it is.
- And then there’s how much it weighs. They gotta weigh it and make sure it ain’t too heavy or too light. They say it should be around 2 ounces, more or less.
They got folks who check these things, you know, make sure the tennis balls are just right. Can’t have nobody playin’ with a ball that’s too big or too small. That wouldn’t be fair, would it? It’s like tryin’ to bake a cake without measurin’ nothin’ – it just won’t come out right!
I remember when I was a young’un, we didn’t have all these fancy rules. We just played with whatever we could find. Sometimes it was a ball, sometimes it was a wad of rags tied up tight. But we still had fun! Nowadays, everything’s gotta be so precise. But I guess that’s how they keep things fair, so everyone’s playin’ by the same rules.
They even got somethin’ called the “International Tennis Federation.” Sounds important, huh? They’re the ones who make all these rules. They tell ya how big the ball should be, how much it should weigh, how high it should bounce… All sorts of things. I tell ya, they think of everything!
So next time you see a tennis ball, you’ll know it ain’t just any old ball. It’s gotta be a certain size, a certain weight, and a certain roundness. And if it ain’t, well, those fellas at the International Tennis Federation, they ain’t gonna let ya play with it!

And you know what? That’s probably a good thing. Keeps things honest and fair. Just like in life, you gotta play by the rules, or things just won’t work out right. Now, where did I put my glasses? Can’t see a darn thing without them these days…
Anyways, that’s the story on tennis ball sizes. Not too big, not too small, just right. Like Goldilocks and the three bears, you know? But instead of porridge, it’s tennis balls! And instead of bears, it’s… well, it’s just tennis players, I guess. Ha! You get the idea.
So there you have it. Hope that answers your question. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I gotta go check on my tomatoes. Them critters been eatin’ at ’em again, I swear!
And remember, when you’re playin’ tennis – or doin’ anything really – it’s all about havin’ fun. Don’t get too hung up on the small stuff. As long as that ball’s round and bounces, you’re good to go!
Tags: Tennis Ball Size, Tennis Ball Diameter, Tennis Ball Dimensions, ITF Tennis Ball Regulations, Tennis Ball Weight, Standard Tennis Ball, Official Tennis Ball Size