British · Paignton, Devon, England · Born 19 April 1956Sue Barker is a British former tennis player who won the 1976 French Open singles title before becoming one of the BBC's leading sports broadcasters, anchoring Wimbledon coverage for nearly three decades.
Sue Barker won the 1976 French Open at 20, defeating Renáta Tomanová in the final and climbing to a career-high ranking of world No. 3, before a broadcasting career that saw her anchor the BBC's Wimbledon coverage for nearly three decades created a second legacy that in public memory has come to outshine the first. At age 10 she was selected for coaching by Arthur Roberts, the coach who had guided Angela Mortimer to three Grand Slam titles, and Roberts continued to develop her game for a nominal fee as her talent grew. Barker turned professional in 1972 and won her first title in 1974, reaching her first Grand Slam semifinal at the 1975 Australian Open. Her breakthrough came in 1976, when she won the German Open and then, at age 20, captured the French Open singles title by defeating Renáta Tomanová in the final, remaining her only Grand Slam singles title. The victory lifted her to a career-high ranking of World No. 3 the following year. Barker retired from professional tennis in 1984 with 15 WTA Tour singles titles and moved into sports broadcasting, working for Australia's Channel 7 and Sky Sports before joining the BBC in 1993. From 1994 she anchored the BBC's Wimbledon coverage for almost three decades, becoming one of the tournament's most familiar voices, and also presented A Question of Sport from 1997 and the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards from 1994 to 2012. She stepped down from Wimbledon presenting duties in 2022 after nearly 30 years in the role.
Winning the 1976 French Open and later becoming the BBC's long-running voice of Wimbledon
How They Played
Solid, all-court baseliner with a reliable one-handed backhand
Lasting Impact
A rare figure to have achieved major success both as a Grand Slam champion and as one of British sport's most trusted broadcasters
Career Honours
- French Open singles champion (1976)
- 15x WTA Tour singles titles
- Career-high ranking of World No. 3
- BBC Wimbledon presenter (1993-2022)
British Athletes