You Can Thank David Attenborough For Making Yellow The Color Of Tennis Balls
By Mikelle Leow, 27 Jun 2024
Photos 315917498 © Víc V. and 79217867 © dorsetgirl2001 | Dreamstime.com
Most people know Sir David Attenborough as the calming and authoritative voice behind mesmerizing nature documentaries. However, he also played a surprising behind-the-scenes role in the world of tennis. While his expertise usually lies in the natural world, Attenborough’s influence on the television industry inadvertently led to the ubiquitous yellow tennis ball we know today.
As Wimbledon gears up for another thrilling season, the world’s oldest tennis tournament has peeled back the curtain on this lesser-known chapter in Attenborough’s legacy on Instagram.
In the mid-1960s, color television was still making its way into viewers’ living rooms. Attenborough, then a young television executive working for BBC Two, had a bold vision: he wanted his channel to be the first in Europe to broadcast in color. And what better program to showcase this technological leap than Wimbledon—the prestigious tennis tournament that combines drama, athleticism, and national pride?
However, amid the excitement, a practical concern emerged: the traditional white or black tennis balls used at the time became difficult to see against the court’s background on color televisions.
Recognizing this potential viewing inconvenience, Attenborough, with his keen understanding of visual presentation, proposed a solution: a more vibrant ball for optimal visibility. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) took note and conducted research, ultimately settling on fluorescent yellow as the ideal color for both color and black-and-white broadcasts.
Despite Attenborough’s push, the switch wasn’t immediate. The ITF implemented the yellow ball rule in 1972, but some tournaments, including the prestigious Wimbledon, clung to tradition. It wasn’t until 1986 that Wimbledon finally embraced the yellow sphere, solidifying its place in tennis history.
And it was all yellow
So, the next time you witness the electrifying rallies of professional tennis or enjoy a friendly game yourself, take a moment to remember the unexpected influence of Sir David Attenborough. His dedication to visual clarity, honed through years of crafting breathtaking nature documentaries, transcended the natural world and left a lasting mark on the way we view a seemingly simple sporting element—the tennis ball.
[via PetaPixel and Laughing Squid, images via various sources]