As color broadcasts gained popularity, BBC producers began exploring ways to improve the visibility of tennis on screen. Attenborough, then a leading figure at the BBC, was among those who championed the idea of switching to a more TV-friendly hue. The All England Club acknowledged that Attenborough’s influence helped inspire the eventual transition to yellow tennis balls.
The International Tennis Federation officially adopted yellow balls in 1972 after studies confirmed that the color was easier for TV viewers to track. Ironically, Wimbledon resisted the change, sticking with white balls until 1986. The Wimbledon Compendium from that year notes that yellow balls debuted at the tournament largely because the white ones had a tendency to stain green from the grass, making them hard to see on television screens as the sport grew in popularity.
Attenborough, now 98, enjoyed Wimbledon from the Royal Box, seated alongside former England soccer star David Beckham. His presence served as a reminder of how his early influence has shaped how we watch the sport today.