Did You Know? Tennis Balls Were Originally Black and White

Behind every sport is a story that often goes untold. The games we know today were not always played—or even designed—the way they are now, proving there's always more to discover beyond the rules and mechanics.

Take tennis balls, for example. They're instantly recognizable for their fluorescent yellow hue, but did you know they didn't always look that way?

Lawn tennis was developed in the 1870s, derived from the centuries-old game of royal or real tennis. According to the International Tennis Federation (ITF), the balls were either black or white, depending on the courts' background color. It was a century later that the vibrant yellow tennis balls were introduced.

The change is thanks in part to Sir David Attenborough, English broadcaster and naturalist. In the late 1960s, he was responsible for introducing color television to the United Kingdom. It had already been launched in the United States and Japan at that time.

Wimbledon, the oldest and relatively the most prestigious tennis tournament, happens annually in London, which appeared to be the perfect opportunity for the now-100-year-old trailblazer. In a story he penned for Radio Times, he wrote, “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.”

The televised sport grew in popularity, and Sir David realized that the white tennis balls were difficult for viewers to see and follow. After conducting research, the ITF introduced the tennis balls we use today in 1972. Its shade is specifically known as optic yellow, which is a fluorescent color between yellow and green.

Traditional as it is, Wimbledon did not immediately adopt the new color, but later swapped the traditional white ball for the optic yellow one in 1986.