Wimbledon bosses have penned a touching tribute to Sue Barker after the legendary BBC presenter rounded off a fantastic career at the Championships.
The 66-year-old made the decision to step down after 30 years of broadcasting - having become the iconic face of the BBC’s coverage of the tournament. She was given an emotional farewell on Centre Court on Sunday afternoon having presented the coverage of Novak Djokovic’s thrilling victory over Nick Kyrgios.
Tennis legends Tim Henman, Roger Federer and John McEnroe were among those to pay their tributes to Barker on the day, with the crowd also joining in with a standing ovation.
Wimbledon themselves also provided a fantastic tribute to the former world number three and Roland-Garros champions with a lengthy statement entitled ‘Farewell “Auntie Sue”’ - a nickname affectionately handed to her by Henman.
The championships noted that Barker’s farewell was a “grand reversing of tables” in that it was her “turn to acknowledge the applause and be moved to tears” as so many champions have done on the court down through the years of her presenting career. They went even further than that by stating that “it is almost inconceivable to think that this will be the last time she performs the role that’s taken so many players to the hearts of fans”.
“Her retirement marks an end of an era, which will be sharply felt. An entire generation and more have only known Wimbledon through Sue Barker’s warm and welcoming company,” the farewell letter continued.
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The statement then went on to list the highlights of her broadcasting career - a lengthy stint that includes congratulating Andy Murray on becoming the first British man to win Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936.
Her positives do not just end there though. A showreel of many highlights were also listed including Pete Sampras and Steffi Graf’s respective retirements, Goran Ivanisevic’s dramatic victory in 2001 and of course the stunning rivalry between Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Djokovic.
Whilst the BBC and Wimbledon will of course be worse off without Barker at the helm, bosses at SW19 offered assurances that she would be back, but now as a fan, rather than a presenter, with the final thanks bookending the tribute.
It read: “She'll be back to watch the tournament she is so associated with, but she leaves her broadcaster's chair with a tranche of memories - which she will relive in a forthcoming memoir, Calling the Shots, to be published in September.
“So from the generation of tennis fans she’s kept informed and entertained with her inimitable warmth and humour, we'd like to say, thanks Sue, thanks. Wimbledon won't be quite the same without you.”
