The Saturday briefing

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER by CAROLINE FORD

- 

Is there anything you're yearning to know? Send your questions, on any subject, to the contacts given below, and we will do our best to answer them...

With the start of Wimbledon this week, can you tell me when and why tennis balls changed from white to yellow...was it for the players, spectators or TV viewers?

Peter Francis, via email

Wimbledon has been held since 1877 - when the game was known as lawn tennis, which is a version of the indoor racket game “royal” or “real” tennis.

Real tennis has its origins in medieval France and was played with balls made of leather stuffed with wool, rags and even human hair. Over the centuries the balls have evolved into the felt-covered rubber ones used today.

The earliest lawn tennis balls were black or grey, to contrast against the light-coloured court surfaces of the time. As conditions changed, the colour of the balls was adapted to enhance visibility

White balls became standard by the turn of the 20th century and were favoured at Wimbledon, where the green grass courts provided a stark contrast for both players and live spectators.