91Èȱ¬

TV presenter and former profession tennis player, Sue Barker, is castaway by Lauren Laverne.

Sue presented 91Èȱ¬ TV’s Wimbledon coverage for nearly three decades, before stepping down in 2022, when she received a standing ovation.

Sue was born in Devon in 1956, and was educated at the Marist Convent School where she had a reputation for being naughty – until her PE teacher, Mrs Chadwick, diverted her energy into tennis. Aged 11 she was selected for training by the local tennis coach Arthur Roberts, who had already guided players to Grand Slam titles. Sue started playing – and winning – junior tournaments.

She turned professional at 17, and moved to the US, joining a new women’s tour set up by Billie Jean King. During her career, she reached the ranking of World No. 3, playing and defeating her contemporaries, including Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Evonne Goolagong and Virginia Wade. Her biggest win came at the French Open in 1976 where, aged 20, she took her first – and only – Grand Slam title. Her biggest disappointment came at Wimbledon the following year, when she lost in the semi-final, despite being the clear favourite.

Plagued by injuries, she retired from tennis in 1985. She began commentating on Australia’s Channel 7, before moving to BskyB in the UK, and then joining the 91Èȱ¬ in 1993.

She has hosted Wimbledon, Grandstand, the Summer and Winter Olympics, the Commonwealth Games, 91Èȱ¬ Sports Personality of the Year, and A Question of Sport. When she announced her retirement from TV, her idol Billie Jean King called her the GOAT, the ‘greatest of all time’.

DISC ONE: Run Boy Run by Woodkid
DISC TWO: Piano Concerto in A minor, composed by Edvard Grieg
and performed by Sir Clifford Curzon (piano) and London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Øivin Fjeldstad
DISC THREE: Harry Hippie by Bobby Womack
DISC FOUR: California Girls by The Beach Boys
DISC FIVE: The Greatest Love of All by George Benson
DISC SIX: Simply Beautiful by Al Green
DISC SEVEN: Grandstand by Keith Mansfield
DISC EIGHT: Philadelphia Freedom by Elton John

BOOK CHOICE: All In by Billie Jean King
LUXURY ITEM: New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc wine
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Harry Hippie by Bobby Womack

Presenter: Lauren Laverne
Producer: Katy Hickman

First broadcast on 91Èȱ¬ Radio 4 in September 2022.

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