Annabel Croft Returns to BBC Wimbledon Coverage
Annabel Croft, 59, is set to return as part of the BBC's presenting team for Wimbledon 2026. The former British tennis star has built a successful broadcasting career since retiring from professional tennis in 1988. She is a familiar face at SW19 each year, and fans are curious about her personal life and finances.
Husband Mel Coleman's Death and Grief
Croft was married to yachtsman Mel Coleman for nearly 30 years before he died from stomach cancer in May 2023, just 12 weeks after diagnosis. She has spoken openly about her grief. In a 2024 interview with The Sun's Fabulous magazine, she said: "I have traumatic flashbacks of the day Mel died. During his final hours, as he drifted in and out of consciousness, he started listing instructions like, 'Change the tyre on the van' and then saying to the children, 'Sorry I can't be there for your weddings.' That memory breaks my heart. After Mel died, it didn't feel real, but as though he was away on a trip and would reappear. Weirdly, the pain of grief feels like it's growing, rather than easing, because of the realisation that he's not coming back."
Dating Prospects
Three years after her husband's death, Croft remains uncomfortable with dating. In 2024, she told The Times: "I've had people asking for dinner dates. I'm, like, 'You have no idea!' I'm not anywhere close to that. It gives me the heebies to think about it. It's never say never, but I wouldn't mind if it was never. Still, I don't want to feel doom and gloom for the rest of my life. Mel would have wanted me to be happy. I try to live in the moment, to stay as present as you possibly can. It's the only way to be - like a sportsman." She later told Hello! magazine: "I don't even consider it. It's not something I'm thinking about at all. I'm not in that headspace – it's way too soon."
Net Worth and Career Earnings
Croft's net worth is estimated at approximately £1.2 million, according to earlier reports. Most of her wealth comes from her broadcasting career, not her tennis playing. She competed professionally for only four years after winning the Wimbledon and Australian Open girls' tournaments in 1984. By the time she retired in 1988, she had earned about $200,000 in prize money (roughly £155,000 at current exchange rates).
She has worked as a presenter for nearly 40 years, fronting programmes for various broadcasters. In 1990, she launched her own fitness video, 'Annabel Croft's Shape Tape', though its profitability is unclear. Her 2023 appearance on Strictly Come Dancing earned her around £60,000: a standard £25,000 appearance fee plus an additional £35,000 for finishing in fourth place.
