2 weeks ago
As 1 of Britain’s starring TV sports presenters for nan champion portion of 3 decades, Sue Barker has ever been much comfortable asking questions than answering them. Many who watched her relaxed, assured style arsenic she presented sum of Wimbledon from 1993 to 2022 astir apt did not cognize she was erstwhile a tennis subordinate herself. Fewer still would person known that Barker is simply a expansive slam champion.
Her finest hr came astatine Roland Garros successful 1976, erstwhile she won her first and only slam title, beating nan Czech Renata Tomanova successful 3 sets. This year’s event, which originates connected Sunday, marks nan 50th day of Barker’s win. Following successful nan footsteps of Christine Truman, who won successful 1959, and Ann Jones, who did it twice, successful 1961 and 1966, Barker is nan past British player, man aliases woman, to triumph successful Paris.
It remains 1 of nan finest achievements successful British tennis, and has a declare to beryllium 1 of nan astir underrated successful British sport. It does not thief that nan 1976 last was not shown unrecorded connected tv due, reportedly, to a onslaught by French camera technicians. It is also, nary doubt, because of what happened astatine Wimbledon nan pursuing year, erstwhile Virginia Wade won nan title astir coveted by British players. Barker was upset by nan Dutchwoman, Betty Stöve, successful nan semi-finals, a nonaccomplishment that wounded truthful overmuch she could not bring herself to watch nan final. Instead she went retired and spent a bully chunk of her £3,500 prize money connected jewellery.
Barker politely declined an question and reply petition to people nan day of her triumph successful Paris, not wanting to look backmost excessively much. “It’s funny really immoderate group look astatine their losses,” nan erstwhile British No 1 Jo Durie says. “I cognize she was really disappointed successful 1977 erstwhile she knew she could hit Virginia [but mislaid to Stöve].” Durie, who is 4 years younger than Barker, feels she should beryllium enormously proud of what she achieved. “Virginia’s triumph was a bigger inspiration because it was Wimbledon and that’s nan 1 everyone wants to win. But erstwhile Sue won successful Paris, it made maine think, if she tin do it past possibly I tin do it.”
At only 20 years old, it seemed arsenic if Barker would spell connected to bigger things, but aft missing retired astatine Wimbledon nan pursuing year, her profession was trim short by wounded and she retired successful 1984. “Winning nan French Open was magical,” she told nan Isle of Wight literate show past year, erstwhile touring pinch her book: Wimbledon: A Personal History. “Of course, I thought it was nan first of many, truthful I didn’t really observe that well. If I’d known it was my only 1 I really would person gone to town.”
In fact, aft a mates of speedy glasses of champagne, Barker flew home, losing her trophy and badge successful nan process. When Ash Barty won nan French Open successful 2019, she became nan first Australian female to do truthful since Margaret Court successful 1973, but arsenic she scanned nan database of names connected nan trophy, she was amazed to spot that Barker was besides listed arsenic an Australian. In a 2022 question and reply pinch BBC Sport, Barker said she did not attraction excessively much. “I deliberation it’s because I utilized to play truthful overmuch successful Australia that group utilized to deliberation I was Australian,” she said. “There weren’t that galore British players connected nan clay. But it doesn’t really fuss me, I knew I’d won it.” At nan time, embarrassed tourney organisers vowed to make nan basal correction, but nan French Tennis Federation did not respond to nan Guardian erstwhile asked if nan alteration has been made.
Ranked No 3 astatine her highest successful 1977, Barker was a bully jock and possessed a forehand that was nan envy of her rivals, bully capable to prime up victories complete Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King, only for her profession to beryllium trim short by injury. “Sue could hit anyone connected her day, she knew that,” Durie says. With Evert, Navratilova and King each absent successful 1976, she was besides nan No 1 seed successful Paris truthful had to woody pinch precocious expectations. “I looked backmost astatine her draw,” Durie said. “She had a adjacent 1 successful nan quarter-finals [against Regina Marsikova], past [Virginia] Ruzici was a awesome subordinate connected clay and Tomanova successful nan final, they were bully wins. She was expected to triumph too, truthful she had that pressure.”
Ruzici won Roland Garros successful 1978 and aft her playing career, was nan longtime head of her chap Romanian Simona Halep. Ruzici recovered Barker excessively bully connected nan day. “We had akin styles,” Ruzici says. “She had nan large forehand and much of a portion backhand, though pinch time, she started to thrust it more.”
Like Barker, Ruzici’s triumph astatine Roland Garros came erstwhile Evert was again missing. “I was fortunate successful 1978 erstwhile I won, because Chris Evert didn’t play,” she says. “Chris was my bête noire, she hit maine astir 20 times. But what counts is having nan title, because you person it for ever, and it’s location successful nan books. In nan agelong run, that’s what counts.”
For each nan disappointment of Wimbledon successful 1977, Barker would surely agree.
