an apparatus for retrieving individual or a plurality of balls such as tennis balls from a playing court and for automatically storing the balls which includes a metal wire or rod frame in which the retrieved balls are stored . the frame has an exit opening at one end and an entrance opening at an opposite end thereof . restraining rods are secured across the entrance opening and are positioned in the entrance opening to define a plurality of entry spaces of graduated dimensions , all less than the diameter of a ball so that the ball must be squeezed through the entry spaces into the central storage area afforded by the frame .