Sue Barker’s French Open Victory: A Half-Century Milestone
Sue Barker, widely recognized as one of Britain’s foremost television sports presenters for nearly thirty years, has long been more at ease posing questions than providing answers. Many viewers who appreciated her composed and assured presentation style during Wimbledon coverage from 1993 to 2022 might not have realized that Barker was once a professional tennis player herself. Even fewer would have known that she is a grand slam champion.
Her most notable achievement came at Roland Garros in 1976, when she secured her first and only grand slam title by defeating the Czech player Renata Tomanova in a three-set final. The 2026 French Open, commencing on Sunday, marks the 50th anniversary of Barker’s triumph. Following in the footsteps of Christine Truman, who won in 1959, and Ann Jones, who won twice in 1961 and 1966, Barker remains the last British player, male or female, to claim victory in Paris.
This accomplishment stands as one of the finest in British tennis history and arguably one of the most underrated achievements in British sport. The 1976 final was reportedly not broadcast live on television due to a strike by French camera technicians, which contributed to its lower profile. Additionally, the subsequent Wimbledon tournament in 1977, where Virginia Wade won the coveted title, overshadowed Barker’s earlier success. Barker herself was defeated in the semi-finals by the Dutch player Betty Stöve, a loss that deeply affected her. She was so disheartened that she chose not to watch the final and instead spent a significant portion of her £3,500 prize money on jewellery.
Barker declined interview requests to commemorate the anniversary of her Paris victory, preferring not to dwell on the past. Former British No 1 Jo Durie reflected on Barker’s career, stating,
“It’s funny how some people look at their losses. I know she was really disappointed in 1977 when she knew she could beat Virginia [but lost to Stöve].”Durie, who is four years younger than Barker, believes Barker should be immensely proud of her achievements.
“Virginia’s win was a bigger inspiration because it was Wimbledon and that’s the one everyone wants to win. But when Sue won in Paris, it made me think, if she can do it then maybe I can do it.”
A Promising Career Cut Short
At just 20 years old, Barker’s French Open victory suggested a promising future with many more titles to come. However, after her disappointment at Wimbledon the following year, her career was curtailed by injury, leading to her retirement in 1984. Reflecting on her 1976 win during a 2025 appearance at the Isle of Wight literary festival while promoting her book Wimbledon: A Personal History, Barker said,
“Winning the was magical. Of course, I thought it was the first of many, so I didn’t really celebrate that well. If I’d known it was my only one I really would have gone to town.”
In fact, after a couple of quick glasses of champagne following her victory, Barker flew home and inadvertently lost her trophy and medal. When Ash Barty won the French Open in 2019, becoming the first Australian woman to do so since Margaret Court in 1973, she noticed Barker’s name listed on the trophy but was surprised to see her nationality recorded as Australian rather than British. In a 2022 interview with , Barker commented on the error,
“I think it’s because I used to play so much in Australia that people used to think I was Australian. There weren’t that many British players on the clay. But it doesn’t really bother me, I knew I’d won it.”Although tournament organizers promised to correct the mistake, the French Tennis Federation did not respond to inquiries from regarding whether the alteration had been made.
Playing Style and Legacy
At her peak in 1977, Barker was ranked No 3 in the world. She was a strong athlete with a forehand that was admired by her competitors, capable of defeating top players such as Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, and Billie Jean King. Unfortunately, injuries shortened her career. Jo Durie remarked,
“Sue could beat anyone on her day, she knew that.”In 1976, with Evert, Navratilova, and King absent from the French Open, Barker was the No 1 seed and faced considerable pressure to win. Durie noted,
“I looked back at her draw. She had a close one in the quarter-finals [against Regina Marsikova], then [Virginia] Ruzici was a great player on clay and Tomanova in the final, they were good wins. She was expected to win too, so she had that pressure.”
Virginia Ruzici, who won Roland Garros in 1978 and later managed fellow Romanian Simona Halep, recalled Barker’s playing style and their encounter.
“We had similar styles. She had the big forehand and more of a slice backhand, although with time, she started to drive it more.”Ruzici also acknowledged the absence of Chris Evert during her own 1978 victory, stating,
“I was lucky in 1978 when I won, because Chris Evert didn’t play. Chris was my bête noire, she beat me about 20 times. But what counts is having the title, because you have it forever, and it’s there in the books. In the long run, that’s what counts.”
Despite the disappointment Barker experienced at Wimbledon in 1977, her French Open triumph remains a significant milestone in British tennis history and a testament to her skill and determination.
