PETALING JAYA: If there's a name synonymous with nature documentaries, it would be Sir David Attenborough. His commanding voice on observing animals has captivated millions and spurred their interest in nature.
While observing and narrating animals in the wild is something Attenborough is known for, is he responsible for why tennis balls are neon yellow?
Verdict:
TRUE
Let's turn back the clock to the 1960s, where everything (on TV, that is) was in black and white. This would include tennis games, where the balls were either white or black because of what the viewers could see (no surprise here).
But with the advent of technology, colour TV came about. At that point in time, Attenborough was working as a studio controller with the BBC and he wanted to improve the quality of programmes on full-colour television.
In order to do this, he sent colour cameras to Wimbledon in 1967.
While the everything looked way better, there was an issue – viewers could not make out the white ball against the similarly coloured white lines on the court.
Attenborough then suggested a change in the colour of the ball for better visibility.
This led the International Tennis Federation (ITF) to run a series of tests to find out what colour worked best. Research showed that the colour yellow would be easily visible to television viewers.
In 1972, the ITF decided to change the colour of tennis balls to yellow. They made the rule requiring all regulation balls to have a uniform surface and to be white or yellow in colour.
Ironically, Wimbledon didn't make the switch until 1986.
The official Wimbledon Compendium for that year noted: "Yellow balls were used for the first time, largely as the white balls were getting stained green on the grass, sometimes making them almost impossible to see on TV, where tennis was increasingly popular."
So, if you love nature and tennis, perhaps you should thank Attenborough.
And wish him a Happy Birthday as well, since he turned 100 this month.
Read more about his birthday and accomplishments here: https://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/entertainment/2026/05/07/100-years-on-earth-iconic-naturalist-attenborough-marks-century!
SOURCE:
https://people.com/tennis-balls-are-bright-yellow-partly-because-of-sir-david-attenborough-8546635
https://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/entertainment/2024/07/05/david-attenborough-inspired-colour-of-tennis-ball-from-blackwhite-to-yellow
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/why-tennis-balls-yellow-meet-122859363.html
