Sue Barker facts for kids
Barker in 2008
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| Country (sports) |  Great Britain |
|---|---|
| Residence | Stanton, Gloucestershire, England |
| Born | 19 April 1956 Paignton, Devon, England |
| Height | 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) |
| Turned pro | 1972 |
| Retired | 1984 |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Prize money | US$ 878,701 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 407–250 (61.9%) |
| Career titles | 23 (15 WTA) |
| Highest ranking | No. 3 (20 March 1977) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | SF (1975, 1977Dec) |
| French Open | W (1976) |
| Wimbledon | SF (1977) |
| US Open | 4R (1976) |
| Other tournaments | |
| Tour Finals | F (1977) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 33–38 |
| Career titles | 12 |
Susan Barker (born 19 April 1956) is a British former television presenter and a professional tennis player. During her time as a player, Sue won 15 major tennis titles. This included a big win at the French Open in 1976. She was once ranked as high as world No. 3 in singles tennis.
After her tennis career, Sue Barker started working for the BBC in 1993. She became a well-known tennis presenter. From 1994 until 2022, she presented the coverage of the famous Wimbledon tennis championships. She also presented other major sports events for the BBC. These included the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, athletics, and horse racing. Sue Barker was also a presenter for popular TV shows like A Question of Sport and BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
Contents
Early Life and Tennis Start
Sue Barker was born on 19 April 1956 in Paignton, Devon, England. She grew up there and went to a convent school. When she was 10 years old in 1966, she was chosen for special tennis coaching. Her coach was Arthur Roberts, who had helped Angela Mortimer win three Grand Slam titles.
Roberts continued to coach Sue even after the initial prize commitment. He charged her very little money so she could keep improving. Sue's forehand shot was her best and most admired skill. Her coach, Roberts, called it "especially potent," meaning very powerful.
When Sue was a teenager, another coach suggested she change her forehand. But Roberts told her not to. He even quit the LTA Coaches Association because he disagreed with that advice. Roberts later sent Sue to play in tournaments in other countries. He would give her a one-way ticket and tell her to "earn your ticket home." This meant she had to win money to get back. Roberts remained an important mentor for Sue throughout her career.
Sue Barker's Tennis Career
When Sue Barker was 16, she was ranked 21st in the world. Her coach, Arthur Roberts, advised her to move to the United States to improve her game. On her 17th birthday, she signed with International Management Group (IMG). She moved into a house provided by IMG in California. There, she was coached at the John Wayne Tennis Club.
In 1973 and 1974, Sue won the Exmouth Open in England. In 1975, she won her first big singles title and three more tournaments. She also reached her first Grand Slam semi-final at the Australian Open that year. In 1976, she won the German Open.
Later in 1976, Sue had the biggest win of her career. She won the French Open when she was 20 years old. She felt this would be the first of many Grand Slam titles. However, she never reached another Grand Slam final after that.
In 1977, Sue won two more singles titles. She beat Martina Navratilova to reach the Virginia Slims Tour Championships final. There, she lost a close match to Chris Evert. Sue reached the Australian Open semi-final again in 1977. She also made it to the Wimbledon semi-final that year. She was expected to play Virginia Wade in the Wimbledon final. But she surprisingly lost her semi-final match to Betty Stöve.
Years later, Sue said that losing to Stöve was the biggest disappointment of her career. She was so upset that she couldn't watch the final, which Virginia Wade won.
After 1978, when injuries caused her ranking to drop, she made a great comeback. In 1979, she won three singles titles and reached three other finals. Her fellow players even named her the "Comeback Player of the Year." Sue won her last singles title in 1981 at the Brighton International. She finished that year ranked World No. 16. She won her last doubles title in 1982 and played her final professional match in 1984.
Overall, Sue Barker won 15 singles titles and 12 doubles titles. She had wins against many famous players like Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, and Billie Jean King. In 2004, Sue said she was "still incredibly proud" of her French Open win in 1976.
Major Tournament Finals
Grand Slam Singles Title
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1976 | French Open | Clay |  Renáta Tomanová |
6–2, 0–6, 6–2 |
Year-End Championship Finals
Singles Runner-Up
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1977 | Virginia Slims Championships | Carpet (i) |  Chris Evert |
6–2, 1–6, 1–6 |
Doubles Runner-Up
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1979 | Avon Championships | Carpet (i) | Ann Kiyomura |
 Françoise Dürr Betty Stöve |
6–7(1–7), 6–7(3–7) |
Broadcasting Career
After she stopped playing tennis, Sue Barker became a sports commentator. She worked for Channel 7 in Australia starting in 1985. Then, from 1990 to 1993, she covered tennis for British Sky Broadcasting. In 1993, Sue joined the BBC. She became a regular guest on Today at Wimbledon. She took over as the main host of Today at Wimbledon in 1994. From 2000 until 2022, she led the BBC's two-week broadcast of the Wimbledon championships.
Sue Barker became one of the BBC's main sports presenters. She presented Grandstand and the popular sports quiz show A Question of Sport. She hosted A Question of Sport from 1997 until September 2020. She also hosted the annual BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards from 1994 to 2012.
Sue hosted the BBC's coverage of many tennis events. These included the Australian Open, the French Open, and the Davis Cup. She also covered other major sporting events. These included the Grand National horse race, the World Athletics Championships, and the European Athletics Championships. She also presented the Commonwealth Games and the Summer Olympics.
For the Sydney 2000 Olympics, Sue led the BBC's coverage. She also presented the Athens 2004 Olympics and the Beijing 2008 Games. At the London 2012 Games, Sue presented events in the afternoon. This was her last time presenting the Summer Olympics.
Sue also presented the Winter Olympics. She was a lead presenter for the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympics and the Turin 2006 Games. For the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, she led the BBC's coverage and commented on figure skating.
She also presented the Commonwealth Games. She led the BBC's coverage for the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games and the Melbourne 2006 Games. The Delhi 2010 Games were her final Commonwealth Games.
In June 1999, Sue helped present the wedding of Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones. She had actually introduced them at a charity event a few years earlier.
Sue Barker received several honors for her work. She was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2000. She became an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2016. And in 2021, she was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). These awards recognized her services to broadcasting and charity.
In September 2020, it was announced that Sue would leave A Question of Sport. She had hosted the show for 24 years. She later said she was asked to leave, not that she chose to. She felt "slightly damaged" by how the BBC handled her departure.
On 9 June 2022, Sue Barker announced she would stop presenting Wimbledon tennis coverage after the 2022 finals. She had covered Wimbledon since 1993.
Personal Life
When Sue Barker was 17, she moved to California. In 1978, she ended her engagement to Australian tennis player Syd Ball. She later said she wasn't ready for marriage at that time. After this, she had a brief relationship with golfer Greg Norman.
In 1980, Sue was temporarily blinded in her right eye. A large dog bit her in Spain. She lost her sight for five hours and worried she might not be able to play tennis again.
In 1982, Sue met singer Cliff Richard. They had a four-month relationship that got a lot of media attention. They were seen together at Wimbledon. Cliff Richard later said they were very close. He considered asking her to marry him but realized he didn't love her enough for marriage.
In 1988, Sue Barker married Lance Tankard. He was a landscape gardener and a former policeman. They live in the Cotswolds village of Stanton, Gloucestershire.
In September 2022, Sue Barker was a guest on the radio show Desert Island Discs. She chose "Harry Hippie" by Bobby Womack as her favorite song. Her chosen book was All In by Billie Jean King.
Sue Barker's autobiography, Calling the Shots, was published in September 2022.
Images for kids
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Barker in 2008
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Sue Barker interviewing Andy Murray at Wimbledon in 2016
See also
In Spanish: Sue Barker para niños
