As one of Britain\u2019s leading TV sports presenters for the best part of three decades, Sue Barker has always been more comfortable asking questions than answering them. Many who watched her relaxed, confident style as she presented coverage of Wimbledon from 1993 to 2022 probably did not know she was once a tennis player herself. Fewer still would have known that Barker is a grand slam champion.<\/p>\n
Her finest hour came at Roland Garros in 1976, when she won her first and only slam title, beating the Czech Renata Tomanova in three sets. This year\u2019s event, which begins on Sunday, marks the 50th anniversary of Barker\u2019s win. Following in the footsteps of Christine Truman, who won in 1959, and Ann Jones, who did it twice, in 1961 and 1966, Barker is the last British player, man or woman, to triumph in Paris.<\/p>\n
It remains one of the finest achievements in British tennis, and has a claim to be one of the most underrated in British sport. It does not help that the 1976 final was not shown live on television due, reportedly, to a strike by French camera technicians. It is also, no doubt, because of what happened at Wimbledon the following year, when Virginia Wade won the title most coveted by British players. Barker was upset by the Dutchwoman, Betty St\u00f6ve, in the semi-finals, a loss that hurt so much she could not bring herself to watch the final. Instead she went out and spent a good chunk of her \u00a33,500 prize money on jewellery.<\/p>\n
Sue Barker spent a large chunk of her \u00a33,500 prize money on jewellery after reaching the 1977 Wimbledon semi-finals. Photograph: Colorsport\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n
Barker politely declined an interview request to mark the anniversary of her win in Paris, not wanting to look back too much. \u201cIt\u2019s funny how some people look at their losses,\u201d the former British No 1 Jo Durie says. \u201cI know she was really disappointed in 1977 when she knew she could beat Virginia [but lost to St\u00f6ve].\u201d Durie, who is four years younger than Barker, feels she should be enormously proud of what she achieved. \u201cVirginia\u2019s win was a bigger inspiration because it was Wimbledon and that\u2019s the one everyone wants to win. But when Sue won in Paris, it made me think, if she can do it then maybe I can do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
At only 20 years old, it seemed as if Barker would go on to bigger things, but after missing out at Wimbledon the following year, her career was cut short by injury and she retired in 1984. \u201cWinning the French Open<\/a> was magical,\u201d she told the Isle of Wight literary festival last year, when touring with her book: Wimbledon: A Personal History. \u201cOf course, I thought it was the first of many, so I didn\u2019t really celebrate that well. If I\u2019d known it was my only one I really would have gone to town.\u201d<\/p>\n