Annabel Croft has said her late husband was a “huge fan” of Strictly Come Dancing – adding that taking part in the show shortly after his death felt like the “right time.”
The former British number one tennis player and broadcaster is among the star-studded line-up of the new series of the BBC’s flagship show.
Croft said taking part in the show has “come at the right time for me” after announcing the death of her husband Mel Coleman, who had been diagnosed with cancer, in May.
Croft was the youngest Briton to compete in the Wimbledon Championships for almost a century at the age of 15 before becoming a junior champion at the tournament in 1984 at the age of 18.
She told the PA news agency: “I’m so excited to be taking part in the programme.
“I’ve always been a big fan of the show, my husband was a really huge fan of it.
“So [it’s] just exciting to do a new challenge and have fun in the process. Not take myself too seriously.”
Angela Rippon, Les Dennis and Zara McDermott are also among the line-up this year.
Croft, who is an ambassador for padel tennis, was speaking at the launch of the new court at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre in London and said she hopes the new facility encourages more people to take it up.
She said: “I think it’s slightly easier to play than tennis, tennis has a lot of different elements to it.
“Padel is a different type of bat, it sounds really good when you play. You can have some really fun rallies, you get some really good rallies going with your partners, you always play doubles and you laugh a lot. I’ve always enjoyed playing padel.”
She added: “It’s a little bit different to tennis, it’s great fun. I think I find myself laughing a lot more on a padel court.
“You just come out and have fun. Anyone can play. It’s very inclusive. You don’t need to be a member to come and play here.”
Padel is one of the fastest-growing sports in Europe and is Spain’s second most popular sport after football.
The cross between tennis and squash is played mainly in a doubles format on an enclosed court that is two-thirds the size of a tennis court.
Andy Murray, David Beckham, and Lionel Messi are among the high-profile fans of the sport.
