In a world where tennis has influenced fashion and entertainment, Belgian eco-designer Mathilde Wittock is bringing the sport into home interiors. Using discarded tennis balls, Wittock creates sleek, cushion-free furniture, including chaise longues made from 500 tennis balls and benches constructed with 270 balls.
Wittock, an avid tennis player, was inspired by the sheer waste of tennis balls—300 million produced annually, most of which end up in landfills, taking over 400 years to decompose. Notably, the US Open uses 70,000 balls per year, and Wimbledon about 55,000. Recognizing this environmental issue, she began repurposing them into functional furniture, spending three to four weeks per chair, with each ball cut, dyed, and customized for clients.
While studying at Central Saint Martins in London, Wittock became frustrated by the lack of transparency in material sourcing. She now collects used tennis balls from clubs, collaborating with the Federation of Wallonia in Brussels, which recently supplied her with 100,000 balls. Her team processes 1,800 per week, ensuring a sustainable production cycle.
Wittock cuts each tennis ball by hand, her and her team average around 1,800 per week. Mathilde Wittock
Beyond creation, Wittock prioritizes circularity—her pieces are designed for easy disassembly and recycling, with the rubber repurposed into playground mats. Looking ahead, she hopes to expand her efforts to North America, tapping into the vast network of tennis clubs for recycling.
