Sue Barker admitted she didn't want to give up Wimbledon job after leaving BBC

Sue Barker admitted she didn't want to stop presenting Wimbledon despite insisting it was her own decision to walk away from the iconic BBC role. The former tennis player fronted the broadcaster's coverage of SW19 between 2000 and 2022.

During that time, Barker became the face of the tournament in the eyes of many Wimbledon fans. And she bid an emotional farewell after 22 years following the men's singles final between Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios. The 69-year-old went on to later reveal that she could have stayed in the job she loved so dearly for another three years. But Barker knew it was time to pass the baton, having told Lorraine: "I will miss it terribly, I wish I was 30 years younger and starting out. I loved the job and I didn't want to give it up but I felt it was the right time and I could walk out with my head held high, which I was able to do. This was very much my choice."

Barker went on to discuss her emotional farewell as Clare Balding and John McEnroe led the plaudits from the commentary box after the final. "The Centre Court standing ovation was, without question, the greatest moment in my career. By a long way. I am going to get emotional even thinking about it now," the former French Open winner added.

Barker covered many legendary moments at the tournament, including Andy Murray's historic win in 2013 as he became the first British winner since Fred Perry in 1936. There, she recalled finding herself in hot water with BBC bosses for going slightly off-script with a more emotional speech to commemorate the victory.

Barker still occasionally attends matches at the All England Lawn Tennis Club and was spotted watching Cameron Norrie's defeat to Carlos Alcaraz in this week's men's singles semi-final. Since stepping down, she also made a brief return for an on-court interview with Murray for his last Wimbledon match in 2024.

The legendary host also returned to Wimbledon in a new job ahead of the 2025 edition, partnering up with Emirates Airlines for a promotional campaign. It saw her assume the role of 'the perfectionist' - a tongue-in-cheek job which included checking the lines are painted, the net is the correct height and the cake is to a satisfactory taste in the Emirates hospitality suite.

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According to CityAM, Barker was asked during an event in west London whether she would ever present Wimbledon for a rival broadcaster such as TNT Sports, who are also showing this year's men's and women's finals. She confirmed that she would not due to the BBC being the pinnacle of sports broadcasting.

However, she confirmed that she had received an early approach from Sky Sports after they took over from Amazon Prime as a major rights holder on the ATP and WTA tours, but she turned down the idea. The understanding is that there was no formal offer made to Barker, as Sky sounded out their options last year on their return to tennis.

Following her departure, long-time BBC sports presenter Balding took over the lead role at Wimbledon. She is supported by British cricket commentator Isa Guha, who usually takes the lead in the earlier part of the day's coverage.