CELEBRITY INTERVIEW
|
50 PLUS MAGAZINE
SUE BARKER CALLING THE SHOTS WHEN Sue Barker retired as a TV presenter at Wimbledon this Summer the tears came from more than just her – the nation felt that we had lost something special. Her great success on TV generally, although especially her associations with the annual tennis-fest at SW19, make us easily forget, however, just what a talented and successful tennis player Sue was. At one time in her career, she was ranked No.3 in the world. Her tennis career started where she was born and brought up in Paignton, Devon. She was educated at a convent school and at the age of 10 in 1966 she was picked as one of two girls to receive free coaching from week-known tennis coach Arthur Roberts. He had coached Angela Mortimer – the former world No.1 female tennis player – and was impressed with the slight blonde girl. In particular, he was impressed by her forehand, and when the period of the free coaching finished, he continued to coach her. 12
Roberts entered Sue, then in her teens, into tournaments abroad, giving her a one-way ticket and instructing her to win enough to pay for her ticket home! Roberts did, though, prove to be a supportive mentor and highly influential throughout her tennis career. At just 16, young Sue was No.21 in the LTA rankings and Roberts advised her to move to America for to improve her development. Here, she was signed by Mark McCormack’s International Management Group (IMG). She won her first top-level singles title in 1975, along with three additional titles, and reached her first Grand Slam semi-final at the Australian Open. She won the German Open the following year and had the biggest victory of her career in 1976 when she won the French Open at the age of 20.
