As one of Britain’s leading TV sports presenters for nearly three decades, Sue Barker has always been more comfortable asking questions than answering them. Many who watched her relaxed, confident style presenting Wimbledon coverage from 1993 to 2022 may not know she was once a tennis player. Fewer still would recall that Barker is a grand slam champion.
Her finest hour came at Roland Garros in 1976, when she won her first and only slam title, beating Czech Renata Tomanova in three sets. This year’s event, beginning on Sunday, marks the 50th anniversary of Barker’s win. Following Christine Truman (1959) and Ann Jones (1961, 1966), Barker is the last British player—man or woman—to triumph in Paris.
A Triumph Overshadowed
It remains one of the finest achievements in British tennis, yet arguably one of the most underrated in British sport. The 1976 final was not shown live on television due to a strike by French camera technicians, and no footage exists. Furthermore, Virginia Wade’s Wimbledon victory the following year overshadowed Barker’s feat. Barker was upset by Dutchwoman Betty Stöve in the semi-finals, a loss so painful she could not watch the final; instead, she spent a large portion of her £3,500 prize money on jewellery.
Barker politely declined an interview request for this anniversary, preferring not to dwell on the past. Former British No 1 Jo Durie notes, “It’s funny how some people look at their losses. I know she was really disappointed in 1977 when she knew she could beat Virginia [but lost to Stöve].” Durie believes Barker should be enormously proud: “Virginia’s win was a bigger inspiration because it was Wimbledon. But when Sue won in Paris, it made me think, if she can do it, maybe I can too.”
A Career Cut Short
At just 20, Barker seemed destined for greater things, but after missing out at Wimbledon, her career was cut short by injury, and she retired in 1984. “Winning the French Open was magical,” she told the Isle of Wight literary festival last year. “Of course, I thought it was the first of many, so I didn’t really celebrate that well. If I’d known it was my only one, I really would have gone to town.” After a couple of quick glasses of champagne, Barker flew home, losing her trophy and medal in the process.
When Ash Barty won the French Open in 2019, she became the first Australian woman since Margaret Court in 1973. Scanning the trophy, she was surprised to see Barker listed as Australian. In a 2022 BBC Sport interview, Barker said, “I think it’s because I used to play so much in Australia that people thought I was Australian. There weren’t that many British players on clay. But it doesn’t really bother me—I knew I’d won it.” Embarrassed tournament organisers vowed to correct the error, but the French Tennis Federation did not respond when asked if the change had been made.
A Formidable Player
Ranked No 3 at her peak in 1977, Barker was a superb athlete with a forehand envied by rivals, enabling victories over Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, and Billie Jean King. With those three absent in 1976, she was the No 1 seed in Paris, facing high expectations. Durie noted, “She had a close quarter-final against Regina Marsikova, then Virginia Ruzici—a great clay player—and Tomanova in the final. Those were good wins. She was expected to win, so she had that pressure.”
Ruzici, who won Roland Garros in 1978 and later managed Simona Halep, recalled Barker’s strengths: “We had similar styles. She had the big forehand and more of a slice backhand, although over time she started driving it more.” Like Barker, Ruzici’s win came when Evert was absent. “Chris was my bête noire; she beat me about 20 times. But what counts is having the title—you have it forever, and it’s in the books. In the long run, that’s what matters.”
For all the disappointment of Wimbledon 1977, Barker would surely agree.
