London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Aug 18, 2026

Barker's final Wimbledon ends in emotional send-off

Barker's final Wimbledon ends in emotional send-off

Roger Federer and Andy Murray led the tributes as Sue Barker's final Wimbledon ended with an emotional send-off in front of cheering tennis fans.

The 66-year-old has stepped down after 30 years at the helm of live sports broadcasting for the BBC.

During a discussion about Novak Djokovic's victory over Nick Kyrgios in Sunday's men's singles final, former British number one Tim Henman interrupted Barker to show her a montage looking back on her career with tributes from current and former players.

Eight-time Wimbledon champion Federer said "You made me cry", while Murray said "You are going to be missed by everyone who loves tennis".

By the end Barker was wiping her tears with a tissue, with Henman's arm around her as Billie Jean King declared her to be the greatest presenter.

"She's an amazing example - if you want to be an amazing presenter, if you want to be anything in broadcasting - she's the GOAT [greatest of all time]," the American 12-time Grand Slam singles champion said.

Three-time Wimbledon champion John McEnroe, who had earlier given Barker "one last hug" on Centre Court before the men's final, told Barker she was "the Roger Federer of the broadcasting world".

Crowds had gathered near the roof-top studio where Barker had been watching the video and they burst into chants of "Sue! Sue! Sue! Sue!" and sang "we love you Sue, we do!"

Barker has presented a range of major events across the BBC - including Wimbledon and Queens tennis, Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, World Athletics Championships, the London Marathon, the Grand National, Royal Ascot and Sports Personality of the Year.

A former world number three tennis player, who won the 1976 French Open title, Barker also reached the 1977 Wimbledon semi-finals before embarking on a broadcasting career that included presenting huge moments like Murray becoming Britain's first male Wimbledon champion in 77 years in 2013.

"It's been an absolute privilege - I've loved it, 30 amazing years, thank you," she said.

"I'll miss the job, I wish I had the next 30 years because I love it but most of all I'm going to miss the people I work with in front of the camera, behind the camera . You've just been absolutely amazing.

"I've just been so proud to front the programme. Thank you."




Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
China’s Lifelike AI Humans Move From Livestreams Into Real-World Service Roles
UK Government Rolls Out £5.8 Billion Regional Investment Programme to Revive High Streets
AstraZeneca Ends Late-Stage Lung Cancer Trial After Data Shows No Survival Benefit
London Stocks Fall for Sixth Day as Bond Yields and Middle East Tensions Weigh on Markets
UK Government Rewrites Planning Rules to Accelerate Housing Near Transport Hubs
UK Wildfires Spread Across Southern England as Met Office Issues Severe Heat Warnings
British Doctors Warn Cancer Care Is at Risk as Hospitals Reject More Than a Quarter of Urgent Referrals
UK Hospitals Suspend Critical Care as Extreme Heat Exposes Infrastructure Failures
Sarah Ferguson Reportedly Retreats to Late Ex-Boyfriend's Swiss Chalet
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez Sign Prenup Protecting Their Separate Fortunes
Thieves Steal Antonello da Messina Renaissance Masterpieces From Sicilian Museum
Better.com Founder Who Fired 900 Employees on Zoom Is Ousted as CEO
Italian Speed Camera Issues Nearly 32,000 Fines in 10 Weeks, Worth More Than €3 Million
AI Manager at San Francisco Store Recommends Firing Human Employee
Google Launches Pixel 11 With Gemini AI at the Center of Its Hardware Strategy
Campaigners Press Government to Strengthen Rights for Four Million Gig Workers
Government Considers Higher Private Rents to Spread Asylum Accommodation Across UK
UK Moves to Protect Historic Pubs From Conversion Into Housing and Offices
Nigel Farage Wins Clacton By-Election to Return to House of Commons
British Manufacturers Report Rising Cybersecurity Threats Across Industrial Supply Chains
Royal Navy Increases Monitoring of Russian Ships in UK Waters by 25 Percent
England Adds More Than 350 Medical Training Posts to Strengthen NHS Capacity
NHS Waiting Lists Over 52 Weeks Rise by More Than 11,000 Patients
Brent Crude Near $88 Raises Fresh UK Energy Cost Concerns
UK Treasury Warns Prolonged Strait of Hormuz Disruption Could Cut 2027 Growth to 0.3 Percent
UK Economy Grows 0.4 Percent in Second Quarter as Energy and Inflation Risks Persist
UK Heatwave Triggers Emergency Alert as Government Unveils £65 Million Farm Support Package
Reform UK Unveils Plan to Cut Welfare Spending by More Than £50 Billion a Year
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Praised Extinction Rebellion for Doing a 'Great Service'
UK Wildfire Phone Alert Triggers Backlash as Users Switch Off Emergency Warnings
Heathrow Roads Reopen After Burst Water Main Floods Access to Terminals 2 and 3
Former NBA Players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White Say They Will Enter 2027 WNBA Draft
Former Cambridge Professor Jason Arday Found Dead Days After Resigning Amid Plagiarism Row
US Appeals Court Rules AI Agent's Website Actions Are Legally Attributed to the User
France's Constitutional Council Blocks Social Media Ban for Children Under 15
Liechtenstein Changes Royal Succession Rules to Allow Women to Inherit the Throne
Women Allege Rape and Sexual Abuse at British Army College for Teenage Recruits
Minnesota: Two independent investigators posed as Muslims (one wearing a burqa) and showed how they could vote in elections without identification.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham Takes Regional Tour to Highlight Local Infrastructure and Environmental Problems
Nigel Farage Wins Clacton By-Election to Return to the House of Commons
Bank of England Warns Rising Inflation Could Squeeze UK Household Incomes
UK Government Announces £65 Million Aid Package for Farmers Hit by Severe Drought
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in Second Quarter Despite Energy Market Pressures
UK Issues Emergency Alert as Severe Wildfires Spread Across England and Wales
UK and Finland Discuss European Defence and Continued Support for Ukraine
Nigel Farage Wins Clacton By-Election to Return to the House of Commons
UK Government Deploys Military to Help Fight Wildfires and Bans Disposable Barbecues
UK Records Hottest Day of the Year as Fifth Summer Heatwave Peaks in Southern England
UK Condemns Houthi Actions and Warns of Red Sea Threat to Global Trade
UK and Solomon Islands Open Wildlife Photography Exhibition in Honiara
×