How David Attenborough Changed the Color of Tennis Balls From White to Optic Yellow

Wimbledon shared how Sir David Attenborough and his love for tennis not only brought the game to television but actually changed the color of the ball from plain white to optic yellow.

Natural history narrator & tennis innovator

In the 1960s, Attenborough was the head of BBC Two and wanted to use Wimbledon matches as a means of bringing color television to England. It was a rousing success, although viewers had trouble following the game because the white ball was difficult to see. This was remedied with the bright color we all know today.