Wimbledon is in full swing, and if you’re not lucky enough to be sitting court-side enjoying champagne and strawberries and cream, you’ve probably watched a little bit of the coverage online.
But have you ever stopped to wonder why tennis balls are that unusual fluorescent green-yellow colour?
Alice, who posts on TikTok as @alicefevronia, shared that she “thought it was an appropriate time to re-share this,” and it’s a fantastic fact that many had no clue about.
She asked: “Did you know that we have the legendary David Attenborough to thank for fluorescent tennis balls?”
Now, most people will know Sir David Attenborough, 99, as the iconic broadcaster and natural historian whose captivating documentaries have brought the wonders of the natural world into our homes for decades.
However, it turns out that he also had a say in the colour of tennis balls that we see today.
Alice said: “Until the 1970s, tennis balls were black or white, but he suggested that a fluorescent tennis ball would be much more visible to the cameras, especially as colour TVs were becoming more popular.
“So the International Tennis Federation conducted extensive research to find a colour visible on both colour and black and white TVs.
“They settled on this greenish yellow, known as optic yellow. And around 55,000 of them will be used during the Wimbledon tournament”.
While the ITF introduced yellow balls in 1972, Wimbledon itself didn’t make the switch until 1986.
People just wish other industries would decide to heed Sir David Attenborough’s advice too.
In the comments, someone fumed: “Shame no one listens to David Attenborough’s message about climate change: the collapse of civilisation is on the horizon”.
Sir David has played a significant role in raising awareness and inspiring action on climate change through his work as a broadcaster, natural historian, and environmental advocate.
He has also spoken at major international forums, including UK Partliament. He even appeared at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP24 in 2018 and COP26 in 2021), urging world leaders to take stronger action against climate change.
He’s a national treasure for a reason – not just tennis balls!