SUE BARKER | TENNIS CAREER

Sue Barker first got into tennis aged 10, when she was picked to receive tennis coaching from Arthur Roberts, the coach who had seen Angela Mortimer win three Grand Slam titles. Arthur continued to coach her until an LTA coach advised her to change the way she used her forehand, at which point he resigned. However, Sue never lost contact with him, and he remained her mentor throughout her career.

When she was 16, and already ranked number 21 in the world, she moved to California, living in the same neighbourhood as legendary player Rod Laver. She would quickly win what were known as smaller tournaments, such as the Exmouth Open, and the German Open.

She made her first Grand Slam semi-final in 1975 at the Australian Open, but her big moment would come the year after, when she won the French Open at just age 20, defeating Czech player Renáta Tomanová. Whilst Sue would continue to play at the top of her game, this would be the only Grand Slam she would win.

After suffering from a number of injuries, Sue came back in 1979 and won several singles titles and reached three more finals, in turn becoming the “comeback player of the year”. But she wasn’t to play for much longer. She won her last singles title at the Brighton International in 1981, finished the year ranked number 16, and won her last doubles title in 1982, playing her last professional match in 1984.

SUE BARKER | MEDIA

After retiring from playing, Sue became a commentator, sports reporter, and presenter. Her first appearance was on Australia’s Channel 7, before she became the tennis anchor for Sky Broadcasting until 1993. She then joined the BBC, becoming a regular guest on Today at Wimbledon, before becoming the main anchor in 1993 until 2022, when she was replaced by Clare Balding. In 2013, she fronted the BBC documentary Andy Murray: The Man Behind the Racquet, which followed the British sporting hero in his run-up to winning that year’s Wimbledon.

Since her journey into the world of television, she has presented programmes including Grandstand, A Question of Sport, and BBC Sports Personality of the Year (1994-2012). She also co-presented the coverage of Prince Edward’s wedding to Sophie Rhys-Jones at Windsor alongside fellow broadcaster Michael Buerk – it was said that Sue was the one to initially introduce Edward and Sophie.

Sue Barker has hosted the BBC’s coverage of three of the tennis Grand Slams – Wimbledon, the French Open, the Australian Open – the Queen’s Club Championships, Eastbourne, Davis Cup, and the ATP World Tour Finals. But it isn’t just tennis that Sue is involved with. She has also hosted live coverage of the Grand National, the Derby, Racing at Ascot and Longchamp, Hennessy Gold Cup, the Great North Run, the World Athletics Championships, European Athletics Championships, the Commonwealth Games, and both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games.

SUE BARKER | AUTHOR

Sue has published three bestselling books:

– Playing Tennis (1979): a manual providing instructions on how to play lawn tennis

– Calling the Shots (2022): Sue’s autobiography was shortlisted for the Autobiography of the Year at the British Sports Book Awards and was an instant Sunday Times bestseller

– Wimbledon: A Personal History (2024): Another Sunday Times bestseller, Sue paints an intimate portrait of Wimbledon, along with behind the scenes details and eclusive conversations with tennis players including Roger Federer, John McEnroe, Billie Jean King, and Venus Williams.

SUE BARKER | OTHER WORK

Sue has also appeared in TV adverts for brands such as Go Compare and Hellmann’s Mayonnaise.

Sue is now a highly sought-after keynote speaker, with topics including:

– Tennis

– Resilience

– Leadership

– Sports Media

– The Evolution of Women in Sport

– The Evolution of Women in Broadcasting

Her charisma, sparkling personality, easy manner, expert knowledge, and professionalism make her an ideal choice as presenter, host, or speaker at corporate events.

Call +44 1753 439 289 or email Great British Speakers now to book former tennis player and BBC Wimbledon Tennis Broadcaster Sue Barker OBE for your next live event.

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