- The legendary nature presenter said he asked the government for yellow balls
- Three British tennis stars still remain in the Australia Open, including Raducanu
As the Australian Open gets underway and fans become glued to their TVs, not many people are thinking about the history of a tennis ball.
It’s hard to imagine a time when the game was ever played without yellow fluorescent balls.
But, in the late 1880s up until the 1970s, matches were played using white or black balls.
It was only until David Attenborough noticed while working for the BBC that it was difficult to see a yellow or white ball in colour television that change occurred.
The legendary nature presenter told Radio Times: ‘I was controller of BBC2 in 1967 and had the job of introducing colour.
In the late 1880s up until the 1970s, matches were played using white or black tennis balls
It was only until David Attenborough campaigned for yellow balls so they were easier to see on colour television
‘We had been asking the government [for yellow balls] over and over again and they wouldn’t allow us, until suddenly they said, “Yes, OK, you can have it, and what’s more you’re going to have it in nine months’ time,” or whatever it was.’
The consequence was that in 1972, the International Tennis Federation approved the ‘optic yellow’ ball.
It would still take Wimbledon another 14 years before they allowed yellow balls, but who knew the 97-year-old had such an impact on the sport?
Earlier today, three of Britain’s four remaining hopefuls in the tournament got through to the third round.
Emma Raducanu in particular was mightily impressive in her straight set wins, as Katie Boulter also showed promise.
Jack Draper, meanwhile, threw up into a bin at the conclusion of his gruelling five-set triumph.
Sophie Anderson, a UK-based writer, is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, she explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture, keeping readers in the know about the latest online sensations.
