As Wimbledon lit up the summer of 2025 with its world-class tennis matches, a sweet story began spreading across social media.
Posts on Instagram, Facebook, and Reddit claimed that all 55,000 tennis balls used each year were turned into tiny shelters for harvest mice.
Pictures of tennis balls with small round openings appeared everywhere, and people loved the idea that Britain’s smallest rodent was getting adorable new homes thanks to one of the world’s biggest sporting events.
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How the Viral Story Began
One widely shared post declared that Wimbledon donates thousands of balls to conservation groups, who then transform them into safe shelters hidden in grassy meadows and hedgerows.
According to the posts, this helped threatened harvest mice survive habitat loss. The claim felt charming and hopeful, which explains why it spread so quickly.
But when experts looked into it, they found that the story was not as current as many people believed. It did not come from recent conservation work, but from projects that took place years ago.
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The Real History Behind the Claim
The idea has roots in early 2000s conservation efforts. In 2001, the BBC reported that Wimbledon donated some of its 36,000 used tennis balls to The Wildlife Trusts.
These balls were cut open and placed outdoors to give harvest mice warm, hidden spaces to nest. Two years later, another BBC article confirmed that a total of 350 balls had been donated for this purpose.
Recently, Snopes reached out to both Wimbledon and The Wildlife Trusts. Both groups confirmed that the project is no longer active.
A spokesperson for The Wildlife Trusts clearly stated that the tennis ball program had ended long ago, and Wimbledon shared the same message. The viral claim, while rooted in truth, reflects a piece of history rather than a current practice.
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Occasional Efforts Still Happened
There were a few isolated repeats of the idea. In 2011, The Guardian reported that Wimbledon donated tennis balls for use as mouse shelters at the request of an aquarium in northern England.
The number of balls was not specified. Over the years, a few smaller tennis clubs also donated balls for similar conservation work. However, these were occasional acts, not a large-scale or ongoing program.
Why Harvest Mice Need Help
Harvest mice are tiny creatures and are classified as Near Threatened in the United Kingdom. Because they are so small and vulnerable, a hollowed-out tennis ball can make a perfect shelter, protecting them from predators and harsh weather.
While the old projects were helpful for local populations, they were limited in size and have not continued into the present day.
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What Happens to Wimbledon’s Tennis Balls Today
Wimbledon now sells most of its used balls directly to spectators, with the money supporting the Wimbledon Foundation.
This approach has been in place for years and remains the primary way used balls are repurposed.
For the balls that are not sold, hospitality partner Keith Prowse notes that they are recycled or donated, though no large or ongoing mouse-shelter program exists today.
The company does mention that balls were donated in past years for wildlife projects, but that this is not a current initiative.
A Sweet Memory, Not a Modern Program
The viral claim that Wimbledon still converts thousands of tennis balls into harvest mouse homes is a charming story, but it belongs to the past.
The idea grew from small and meaningful conservation efforts more than a decade ago and continues to capture people’s imaginations.
Even though the program is no longer active, it remains a lovely reminder of how simple ideas can help nature in unexpected ways.