Wimbledon

£22.00

Sue Barker first walked through those famous SW19 gates aged 13 in 1969, to play in the National Schools event. She knelt down and picked some blades of grass, wrapped them up in a tissue and took them home. Her own bit of Wimbledon. What Sue didn’t know then, was that every year for the next half century, she would be back in some capacity. As a junior, aged 15, as a semi-finalist and Grand-Slam winner ranked No 3 in the world, and as a broadcaster leading the BBC coverage for 30 years. And now she returns as a storyteller. Wimbledon has a magic that draws people in, players and fans. It respects tradition, but embraces the future and stays relevant. Sue goes in search of what sets this place apart. She talks to the greats of tennis, her former mentors, contemporaries on the circuit, friends and colleagues, and they tell their stories of their own triumphs and disasters.

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SKU: 9781529927399 Category: Tag:

Description

‘The thing about our Sue is that she just is Wimbledon.’ John McEnroe

Sue Barker first walked through those famous wrought-iron gates aged 13 in 1969 to play in the National Schools event. What Sue didn’t know then, was that every year for the next half century, she would be back in some capacity. As a junior, aged 15, as a semi-finalist and Grand-Slam winner ranked No.3 in the world, as a broadcaster leading the BBC coverage for thirty years and for the first time, as a fan in 2023.

And now she returns as a storyteller.

The magic has stayed the same,but times have changed. With her first-hand insight and perspective, Sue paints an intimate portrait of the place, past and present, full of behind-the-scenes details drawn from her own experiences as well as personal conversations with her former mentors, contemporary players, friends and colleagues – giants of the game such as Rod Laver, Billie Jean King, John McEnroe, Roger Federer, Venus Williams and many others. They share poignant memories with her and some startling revelations, from Sampas’s deep regret that he didn’t involve his parents more in his Centre Court triumphs to Borg divulging that McEnroe was always the quietest presence in the locker room … You cannot be serious!

From the most talked-about matches and famous rivalries to the fashions and trends, from the stunning breakthroughs, to the near wins and gut-wrenching disappointments, Sue’s personal history of Wimbledon is touched throughout by Championship stardust and is as tightly packed with stories as the courts are with blades of grass.

Additional information

Weight 556 g
Dimensions 242 × 162 × 30 mm
Author

Publisher

Imprint

Cover

Hardback

Pages

320

Language

English

Edition
Dewey

796.34209421 (edition:23)

Readership

General – Trade / Code: K