Serving up the truth about Wimbledon donating balls as new homes for threatened harvest mice
Claim:
Some of the 55,000 balls used during the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament turn into homes for annual harvest mice.
Rating:
Rating: outdated
Since the annual Wimbledon tennis championships were played in 2025 from June to July, social media users claimed that thousands of tennis balls used in the tournament took the second life as a home for small mice facing the loss of habitat.
For example, an Instagram user image (archived) Text: “After Wimbledon, 55,000 tennis balls are converted into homes for harvest mice.”
The title of the task, which has received approximately 20,000 likes since this article, claimed that the balls were “donated to protection groups”.
Similar iterations of the rumor have emerged Facebook (archived) And Reddit (archived).
In short, while Wimbledon donated some tennis balls for the protection groups to use it as a home for harvest mice, these donations seem to be one -time. For this reason, we raised this claim as outdated.
The oldest resource for the alleged donation is 2001 BBC articleAt that time, some of the 36,000 tennis balls of the tournament were donated. Wildlife Confidence – An English wildlife protection federation charities – Recycling as a home for harvest mice. A 2003 BBC article He received a small follow -up note to this story, stating that Wimbledon donated 350 tennis balls to wild life confidence two years ago.
Snopes contacted wildlife confidence and Wimbledon for details about whether the tournament continued to make such donations, and if so, for details. Wildlife Trusts spokesman said: “Unfortunately, the story of the tennis ball is not very up -to -date because we haven’t worked with Wimbledon for a while.” Similarly, a Wimbledon spokesman confirmed that the story about harvest mice was old.
In 2011, Guardian The newspaper reported that Wimbledon donated tennis balls to house mice at the request of an aquarium in North England this time. Guardian did not say how many tennis balls were donated at that time.
Although it was not possible to find new articles about the tournament, but Other tennis clubs It was reported that they gave tennis balls for the same purpose in the UK.
Although it is not extinct globally, harvest mice are considered to be “close threatening” in the UK. MammalA British charity. Harvest Mice England’s the smallest rodentIn other words, a tennis ball with a hole cut into it can be a place to protect the mice from the predators.
Wimbledon during the tournament sells used tennis balls in place and income Go Wimbledon Foundationcharity. According to the spokesman of the tournament, Wimbledon has been selling tennis balls used for the last few years.
Wimbledon’s website did not contain any information about the fate of unused or sold tennis balls, but Keith ProwseA sports hospitality company, which is a partner with Wimbledon, said that they were donated or recycled in weeks and months after the tournament ended. Keith Prowse’s website to add: “Previously, some balls were donated to Wildlife Trust, who cut them and used them to build a house for harvest mice!”
Resources:
“Harvest mouse.” Mammalmammal.org.uk/british-mammals/harvest-aze. Access 16 July 2025.
“There is a ball in Wimbledon!” BBC2003, news.bbc.co.uk/sportacademy/hi/sa/tennis/featires/newsid_2997000/2997504.stm. Access 16 July 2025.
“New balls, please for mouse houses, please.” BBCJune 25, 2001, news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/1406612.stm. Access 16 July 2025.
“Championships, Wimbledon facts and figures.” Wimbledon.comwww.wimbledon.com/en_GB/atoz/faq_and_facts_and_figures.html. Access 16 July 2025.
Wainwright, Martin. “What’s happening to Wimbledon’s used balls? Ask for Mice of Cumbria.” GuardianJune 29, 2011, www.theguardian.com/uk/the-northerner/2011/jun/29/wimbledon-tennis-balls-quarium-chies-slazenger-barnsley. Access 16 July 2025.
“Watermead County Park Mice to live in tennis balls.” BBC26 April 2013, www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leiceStershire-22314712. Access 16 July 2025.
“What’s happening from Wimbledon | Tennis | Keith Prowse.” Www.keithProwse.co.ukAugust 16, 2022, www.keithProwse.co.uk/news-and-blog/2022/08/16/whatpen-post-wimbledon/. Access 16 July 2025.
