SUE BARKER’s absence from Wimbledon TV screens next week is going to be a major “bummer” – just like when Bjorn Borg suddenly quit tennis in 1982.
Former French Open champion Barker will be watching most of the action from her own sofa while occasionally attending the odd day in SW19 hospitality.
Sue Barker bows out after nearly 30 years heading the BBC Wimbledon coverage
John McEnroe says Barker’s presence made it ‘easier for everyone around her’
This is the first time in three decades that Barker, 67, has not fronted the coverage for the BBC – with safe-pair-of-hands Clare Balding taking the reins from Monday onwards.
So many times on air, Barker had to play the school headmistress role, ensuring that maverick McEnroe was kept on the straight and narrow while chatting on commentary duty.
For McEnroe, the sadness he will experience this time is akin to how he felt when his great rival Borg, a five-time Wimbledon winner, threw away his racquets more than 40 years ago.
The American said: “No Sue? That’s going to be a bummer.
“Sue is a legend. I mean she was incredible at what she did. So it’s going to be a void.
“It’s like when Borg didn’t play Wimbledon. For us, it was a huge thing.
“Especially since I’ve been doing this, the other side, the commentary side, for as long as I have and doing it with her.
“She just makes it easier for everyone around her. And she did that for 25 years or something.
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“So it’s a tough act to follow. We’ll see what happens.”
The main draw for Wimbledon takes place on Friday, ahead of the tournament’s scheduled start of 10am next Monday July 3.
