Annabel Croft can be seen for the first time since the sudden death of husband Mel Coleman

Annabel Croft put on a brave face as she attended day two of Wimbledon on Tuesday, just weeks after the sad death of her husband Mel Coleman.

Former tennis star Annabel, 56, was devastated in May when Mel died just a few weeks after he was diagnosed with cancer.

Broadcaster Annabel married former professional sailor Mel in 1992 and the couple – who enjoyed a healthy and active lifestyle – were blindsided when Mel was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer after complaining of abdominal pain.

He died eight weeks later at the age of 60.

Returning to a place that would bring her so much comfort and joy in her career, Annabel attended day two of Wimbledon on Tuesday.

The former British number one smiled for onlookers as she walked onto the grounds in a pink denim jumpsuit and green hoodie.

A longtime fixture of the BBC’s Wimbledon coverage, she also covers tennis tournaments around the world. The family lives in Coombe, Surrey, near Wimbledon.

She announced her husband’s death on May 26, saying in a statement: ‘My beloved husband Mel passed away peacefully on Wednesday morning after a brief battle with cancer. My family and I are heartbroken and ask for privacy at this very sad time.”

A friend said: ‘This has come as an extreme shock to everyone – the diagnosis came out of the blue and Mel didn’t seem unwell at the time.

“Unfortunately, the cancer progressed relentlessly… and he passed away earlier this week. Everyone is devastated and shocked, and Annabel is absolutely devastated.

“Those two have always been together and were a great couple.”

They have three adult children Charlie, Amber and Lilly.

The pair met just before Annabel dropped out of the tennis tour and he was her first serious boyfriend.

Mel, a successful investment banker who competed in the America’s Cup and more recently ran a tennis school with his wife, was known for his seemingly perfect health and, like Annabel, enjoyed an active outdoor life.

After the Covid lockdowns, they converted an old van into a mobile home together and traveled across the country and to Europe on walking holidays.

Shocking news: The former tennis star, 56, was devastated in May when her Mel Coleman died just a few weeks after he was diagnosed with cancer (pictured in 2021)

Brave face: The former British number one smiled for onlookers as she took to the field in a pink denim jumpsuit and green hoodie

Earlier this year, Annabel, a former UK number one, recalled that her path coincidentally crossed Mel’s when she was at a crisis point.

At the age of 21, she was at the US Open with a pep talk from fellow player John Newcombe, who suggested she think about what she wanted to do with her life, as she seemed unhappy. She had been on the tennis tour for nearly six years and was lonely, stressed and lost from the demands of relentlessly competing.

‘While we were talking I got a text from my mum saying that the BBC’s production office in Belfast asked if I would be interested in filming a program about yacht racing.

‘I had never been on a yacht before, but eventually me, Eamonn Holmes and Peter Skellern went to Guernsey to record a program where we learned how to race on a yacht.

‘Mel, who had just returned from Australia after the America’s Cup, was one of the sailors and that’s how we met.

“After a day of filming, we all went to the pub, had dinner – it sounds weird, but I’d never done that before – and I remember thinking, gee, this is really fun and normal, and I want a little bit more of this instead of getting up and putting on a tracksuit and stressing if my backhand is working today.”

Six years later they got married.

In a recent interview with the Daily Mail, she spoke of her excitement at the prospect of traveling with her husband in their van after the lockdown.

She said, “I think we’ll be fine considering how long we’ve been together. It’s about the freedom and the sense of adventure.’

Tennis ace: Former British number one Annabel returned to a place that brought her so much comfort and joy in her career (pictured at Wimbledon in 1987)