Sir David Attenborough made suggestion that changed Wimbledon tennis forever
One woman has shared the story of how Sir David Attenborough, best known for his fantastic nature documentaries, actually changed the way that tennis was played forever
David Attenborough loves Wimbledon - but did you know he played a part in it?
(Image: Karwai Tang, WireImagevia Getty Images )
Wimbledon is well underway – and for those not fortunate enough to be there in person, sipping Champagne and savouring strawberries and cream, you've likely caught some of the action on your TV. But have you ever pondered why tennis balls sport that peculiar fluorescent green-yellow hue?
A TikTok user named Alice (@alicefevronia) thought it was high time to re-share this intriguing fact that many are unaware of. She posed the question to her followers: "Did you know that we have the legendary David Attenborough to thank for fluorescent tennis balls?"
This left many people confused as they had no idea he had anything to do with the tennis world. In fact, most recognise Sir David Attenborough, 99, as the esteemed broadcaster and natural historian.
His mesmerising documentaries have brought the marvels of nature into our living rooms for years. However, it appears he also had a hand in determining the colour of today's tennis balls.
Content cannot be displayed without consent
Alice explained: "Until the 1970s, tennis balls were black or white, but he suggested that a fluorescent tennis ball would be much more visible to the cameras, especially as colour TVs were becoming more popular.
Article continues below
"So the International Tennis Federation conducted extensive research to find a colour visible on both colour and black and white TVs.
"They settled on this greenish yellow, known as optic yellow. And around 55,000 of them will be used during the Wimbledon tournament".
While the ITF introduced yellow balls in 1972, Wimbledon didn't adopt the change until 1986.
People are calling for other sectors to take note of Sir David Attenborough's advice too.
In the comments section, one person vented their frustration: "Shame no one listens to David Attenborough's message about climate change: the collapse of civilisation is on the horizon".
Sir David has been instrumental in drawing attention to and encouraging measures against climate change through his influential roles as a broadcaster, natural historian, and staunch environmentalist.
Article continues below
His voice has resonated in significant global arenas, including the UK Parliament.
Notably, he addressed leaders at the United Nations Climate Change Conferences (COP24 in 2018 and COP26 in 2021), advocating for more robust action to combat climate change.
Tennis balls aside, he's also cherished for his advocacy for our planet's future.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wales Online
9 minutes ago
- Wales Online
Fiona Phillips shares heartbreaking Alzheimer's struggle as husband 'wished' for cancer instead
Fiona Phillips shares heartbreaking Alzheimer's struggle as husband 'wished' for cancer instead 'Sometimes I get halfway through a sentence and I can't remember where I was heading with it or the word I was looking for' Fiona has opened up about her diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (Image: 2017 Getty Images ) Fiona Phillips has opened up about her struggles with Alzheimer's, comparing the disease to "trying to chase a £5 note that's fallen out of your purse on a gusty day". In a candid new article, the TV presenter shared an emotional reflection on her experience, saying each time "she thinks she had caught the £5 note, it whips away again". The mother-of-two, who received her diagnosis at 61 in 2023, expressed how she was initially oblivious to her repetitive conversations and would often forget her actions or destinations shortly after being diagnosed. Now at 64, the television presenter is navigating life with Alzheimer's, with the support of her husband Martin Frizell. Martin, the former editor of This Morning, has been taking on much of her care after leaving his position last year in anticipation of shifting family responsibilities. Aided by Martin, Fiona has penned a memoir titled Remember When: My Life With Alzheimer's, set for release later this month, with adapted excerpts currently circulating in the press. In these selected extracts, Fiona, known for her 15-year stint on GMTV, said: "Everywhere I look there are memories. I know they are there. And yet so many of them feel out of my reach now. Fiona, who has been married to Martin Frizell since 1997, said she had "no awareness" she was forgetting things (Image: 2024 Getty Images ) "It's like I stretch out to touch them, but then just as I'm about to grasp it, the memory skips away from me. And I can't catch up with it. Like trying to chase a £5 note that's fallen out of your purse on a gusty day. Each time I think I've caught it, it whips away again. Article continues below "I couldn't be writing this at all without my husband Martin and my closest friends, who are helping me articulate more clearly the thoughts I once had that are now harder for me to reach." As reported by the Mirror, Fiona shared her experience, noting: "Nowadays, I can find talking about my life agonisingly difficult. Sometimes I get halfway through a sentence and I can't remember where I was heading with it or the word I was looking for. It feels awful. "Gradually, Martin and I thought maybe I should start telling more people. Martin felt that if more people knew what was happening to me then they wouldn't judge me if I did ever start behaving unusually – not that I thought I did. It was hardly like I was going down the street half-clothed, yelling at people. "But he and the doctors, who I was constantly backwards and forwards to see, would say that I kept repeating myself and that sometimes I forgot what I was doing or where I was going. The strange thing was I had no awareness of that." In 2023, the Mirror detailed how the Canterbury-born star has been participating in clinical trials for an innovative new medication that researchers believe has the potential to slow or even halt the effects of the disease for millions in the future. Nevertheless, for Fiona, the help has arrived all too late, so much so that her husband Martin confessed: "Being brutally honest, I wish Fiona had contracted cancer instead. It's a shocking thing to say, but at least then she might have had a chance of a cure, and certainly would have had a treatment pathway and an array of support and care packages." He continued, pointing out the disparity in support: "But that's not there for Alzheimer's. Just like there are no funny or inspiring TikTok videos or fashion shoots with smiling, healthy, in-remission survivors." The sense of abandonment post-diagnosis is evident as he noted: "After someone is diagnosed with Alzheimer's, they are pretty much left to their own devices. There is nothing more that can be done and you are left to cope alone." Article continues below Fiona's memoir, Remember When: My Life With Alzheimer's (Macmillan, £22), is scheduled for release on July 17.
North Wales Chronicle
10 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
I tried viral angel hair chocolate – what on earth is it?
Now, between me and you, I still haven't tried Dubai chocolate, but when I saw Tesco was now stocking the Noesis Angel Hair Chocolate bar, you bet I got hold of one within a matter of hours. The sweet treat (currently on sale for £4.50 with a Clubcard) is made of ruby and white chocolate, but inside it has pistachio cream and cotton candy (also known as candyfloss to us in the UK). This week, I have watched endless amounts of people eat the chocolate bar on TikTok during my evening hourly doom scroll. Many have compared it to what can only be described as 'eating a carpet' due to the candyfloss "fibres", so I had no idea what to expect, and I think I actually scared myself. Truth be told, I'm still asking, what the hell did I eat? In fact, I can't stop thinking about it, as it might be the weirdest thing I've digested in 2025 so far. As soon as I unwrapped the Noesis Angel Hair Chocolate bar, there was an almighty waft of white chocolate, now this sweet scent of vanilla was a delight to get started with. But then came the real fun part, it was time to snap the chocolate bar in half to see what was waiting for me inside. Have you seen this viral angel hair chocolate at other supermarkets in the UK? (Image: Molly Court/Newsquest) Alas, I was greeted by a mass of literal hairy pink and white fibres, and my brain almost exploded – was I really about to eat such a bonkers-looking substance? I know it's candyfloss, but my mind could hardly accept it as it was so dense. Anyway, I got a grip and took a bite - my mouth was instantly filled with a very bizarre texture, I almost felt like I'd bitten into a tea towel and I froze. But after only a few seconds later, I carried on rapidly chewing and noticed it was dissolving. All of a sudden, it turned into a pleasant chocolatey mix so I began to relax. I don't think I will eat anything as weird as an angel hair chocolate bar for the rest of the year (Image: Molly Court/Newsquest) I was surprised at just how lovely it tasted, there was a balance of flavours between the creamy ruby and white chocolate, as well as the candyfloss. Recommended reading: Tesco has 'the best' prawn cocktail crisps according to shoppers - do you agree? M&S strawberry sandwich customers are fuming 'it's only half a sandwich' Nestle says 'sorry' as it discontinues KitKat described as 'dream snack' Sadly, I thought the pistachio flavour lacked a little for my liking - in my opinion, there could be more of it. What I will say, is that this bar is only 70g, and although quite thick, it's awfully small for the price (after about two bites each between me and my partner, it was gone). Would I eat it again? Absolutely. But it might be the first and last time I spend near enough £5 for a smaller-than-average bar of chocolate that left my taste buds with such confusion.
Rhyl Journal
40 minutes ago
- Rhyl Journal
I tried viral angel hair chocolate – what on earth is it?
Now, between me and you, I still haven't tried Dubai chocolate, but when I saw Tesco was now stocking the Noesis Angel Hair Chocolate bar, you bet I got hold of one within a matter of hours. The sweet treat (currently on sale for £4.50 with a Clubcard) is made of ruby and white chocolate, but inside it has pistachio cream and cotton candy (also known as candyfloss to us in the UK). This week, I have watched endless amounts of people eat the chocolate bar on TikTok during my evening hourly doom scroll. Many have compared it to what can only be described as 'eating a carpet' due to the candyfloss "fibres", so I had no idea what to expect, and I think I actually scared myself. Truth be told, I'm still asking, what the hell did I eat? In fact, I can't stop thinking about it, as it might be the weirdest thing I've digested in 2025 so far. As soon as I unwrapped the Noesis Angel Hair Chocolate bar, there was an almighty waft of white chocolate, now this sweet scent of vanilla was a delight to get started with. But then came the real fun part, it was time to snap the chocolate bar in half to see what was waiting for me inside. Have you seen this viral angel hair chocolate at other supermarkets in the UK? (Image: Molly Court/Newsquest) Alas, I was greeted by a mass of literal hairy pink and white fibres, and my brain almost exploded – was I really about to eat such a bonkers-looking substance? I know it's candyfloss, but my mind could hardly accept it as it was so dense. Anyway, I got a grip and took a bite - my mouth was instantly filled with a very bizarre texture, I almost felt like I'd bitten into a tea towel and I froze. But after only a few seconds later, I carried on rapidly chewing and noticed it was dissolving. All of a sudden, it turned into a pleasant chocolatey mix so I began to relax. I don't think I will eat anything as weird as an angel hair chocolate bar for the rest of the year (Image: Molly Court/Newsquest) I was surprised at just how lovely it tasted, there was a balance of flavours between the creamy ruby and white chocolate, as well as the candyfloss. Recommended reading: Tesco has 'the best' prawn cocktail crisps according to shoppers - do you agree? M&S strawberry sandwich customers are fuming 'it's only half a sandwich' Nestle says 'sorry' as it discontinues KitKat described as 'dream snack' Sadly, I thought the pistachio flavour lacked a little for my liking - in my opinion, there could be more of it. What I will say, is that this bar is only 70g, and although quite thick, it's awfully small for the price (after about two bites each between me and my partner, it was gone). Would I eat it again? Absolutely. But it might be the first and last time I spend near enough £5 for a smaller-than-average bar of chocolate that left my taste buds with such confusion.
