BALDING SET TO STEP IN AS ‘NEW SUE’
SUE BARKER has dropped a major hint that Clare Balding will step into her shoes as lead BBC presenter at Wimbledon next summer. Barker, the recently retired star of the BBC’s coverage, suggested that Balding would be taking over when they featured together at the BT Sport Action Woman Awards on Wednesday evening. Receiving a lifetime achievement gong from her potential successor, an emotional Barker spoke of her love for Wimbledon and working there, adding: ‘I’ve loved it all my life, but I know I’m leaving it in the safest hands. It’s absolutely wonderful to leave it with Clare.’ Balding looked somewhat blindsided by the endorsement, although it would hardly be a surprise if she was elevated to Barker’s position, having presented the Today At Wimbledon highlights package for the past seven years. A spokesperson for the BBC declined to comment, although it is known that they have yet to assemble their team for next year’s Championships. Given the hand-in-glove relationship between the tournament and the national broadcaster — which pays about £65million annually for the rights — it is also unthinkable that Wimbledon will not be closely involved with the appointment.
There is also likely to be a prominent role for Isa Guha, despite her being better known for cricket rather than tennis. Barker will be a tough act to follow, having become something of a national treasure after 22 years in the lead role at the country’s flagship event. She received an avalanche of tributes upon leaving this summer, and said at the BT awards: ‘I think that was the most emotional thing that ever happened in my career. It’s something that I will absolutely treasure forever.’ Meanwhile, Wimbledon has confirmed that it will free female competitors from the obligation to wear white underwear at next summer’s Championships. As Sportsmail revealed last week, the All England Club has finally fallen in line with other women’s sports in allowing coloured undershorts. But the all-white rule, which has been the source of continual irritation to both male and female players over the years, will otherwise remain in place, in line with tradition. The move was formally unveiled alongside other announcements, which included the second biggest annual surplus to be handed out to British tennis this year — £42.4m — as Wimbledon enjoyed a significant Covid bounceback this summer.