Human Interest Tennis Balls Are Bright Yellow Thanks, in Part, to Sir David Attenborough — Here's Why The British broadcaster played a role in changing the color of tennis balls, which were initially black or white By Nicholas Rice Nicholas Rice Nicholas Rice is a Senior Editor for PEOPLE Magazine. He began working with the brand as an Editorial Intern in early 2020, before later transitioning to a freelance role, and then staff positions soon after. Nicholas writes and edits anywhere between 7 to 9 stories per day on average for PEOPLE, spanning across each vertical the brand covers. People Editorial Guidelines Published on January 21, 2024 04:13PM EST Sir David Attenborough, a tennis ball. Photo: Tim P. Whitby/Getty; Getty Tennis balls are the bright yellow color that they are known for today, thanks in part to Sir David Attenborough. In an article penned for The Radio Times, the British broadcaster and naturalist, 97, said that, as controller for BBC channel BBC2 in 1968, he was responsible for bringing color television to the U.K. for the first time that year. "We had been asking the government over and over again, and they wouldn’t allow us, until suddenly they said, 'Yes, okay, you can have [color television technology], and what’s more you’re going to have it in nine months’ time,' or whatever it was," Attenborough wrote, explaining that the United States and Japan already had the advancement. He later decided that Wimbledon would be the perfect event to utilize color television for the first time, revealing in the The Radio Times, "I mean, it is a wonderful plot: you’ve got drama, you’ve got everything. And it’s a national event, it’s got everything going for it." Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Sir David Attenborough. Rob Pinney/Getty Coco Gauff Takes the Plunge Off New Zealand’s Tallest Building: 'Jumping into the New Year' But, while watching Wimbledon on TV in color for the first time in his role as BBC2 controller, Attenborough found that the tennis balls weren't visible enough on screen, according to the book 2,024 QI Facts To Stop You In Your Tracks, per HuffPost. Those used initially were black or white, depending on the background color of the courts, according to the International Tennis Federation (ITF). The ITF then changed the color of the balls in 1972. Wimbledon, however, continued to use the white tennis ball in the years to follow, before eventually adopting the yellow balls in 1986, the ITF said.