It Turns Out David Attenborough Is The Reason Tennis Balls Are Yellow, And Now I’m Questioning Everything

What? Why? 

The Planet Earth presenter started working at the BBC in 1952 (having only watched one TV show).

In an article with RadioTimes, David revealed that he was responsible for bringing colour to BBC2 for the first time in 1968. And he decided to focus on Wimbledon for the crowning episode of the transformation.

“We had been asking the government over and over again and they wouldn’t allow us, until suddenly they said, ‘Yes, OK, you can have [the colour TV technology], and what’s more you’re going to have it in nine months’ time,’ or whatever it was,” he told RadioTimes.

He added that he wanted to beat West Germany to full-colour broadcast ― the US and Japan had already done it by that time.

But, according to the book 2,024 QI Facts To Stop You In Your Tracks, at some point, David Attenborough noticed that the tennis balls weren’t vibrant and visible enough on screen.

So, in 1972, the International Tennis Federation made optic yellow tennis balls ― side note, they’re officially optic yellow and not green (though in my mind, they’re definitely lime). 

Who knew a simple ball could have so much lore?