What’s yellow and hairy? A tennis ball. But why does she look like this? In 1877, the first tennis tournament was born, that of Wimbledon, while the Grand Slam was still far from being known. But over the years, the sport became more democratic and in 1968, the matches were broadcast on television, which was still broadcast in black and white.
Problem, at that time, the outfits, the rackets, the balls, everything is in white. So it’s impossible for the spectator on his couch to tell the difference between the ball and the lines of the court…
The power of broadcasters
The broadcasters of the competitions will then introduce a new color, much more visible. The first yellow balls appeared in 1972 on the circuit but the color “optic yellow” became official in 1978.
For the color we now know the reason, but why is the ball hairy? At the beginning of tennis, it was made of wool, the choice of the felt material which covers the rubber of the ball allows a better rebound on the courts.