Sue Barker is back! Wimbledon favorite enjoys her retirement in the Royal Box

Sue Barker finally made it back to SW19 this afternoon… but didn’t look quite comfortable as a fan of the tennis tournament she’s led for 30 years.

The veteran announcer, who withdrew from Wimbledon with much fanfare at the end of last year, showed all the emotions when she took her place in the Royal Box on Wednesday.

At one point, fan favorite Barker, who said she made the decision to stop presenting main coverage in 2022 because she didn’t want to be “tapered,” seemed to be praying to the gods.

Sitting next to AELTC chairman Philip Brook, Barker opted for a smart turquoise coat for her first week at the All England club.

Many fans watching the BBC’s coverage of the show this week have said they miss Barker, with some criticizing the new line-up.

Today at Wimbledon, the popular evening highlight show looks particularly different from previous years, with the revamped version ditching the familiar studio overlooking Center Court in favor of outdoor coverage.

Longtime evening show host Clare Balding is now head of the main action, following Barker’s retirement.

On Monday night’s first episode of Today at Wimbledon, new presenter Qasa Alom took the helm alone, with the program mainly featuring pre-recorded analysis with experts captured earlier in the day – and many beloved faces absent from the coverage.

An armchair reviewer stated that the show was, “Really awful to watch.” More bizarre ideas from the BBC. Sort it out and bring back the traditional format.’

Another said they missed the familiar faces of Wimbledon and wrote: Bring back Sue Barker and John McEnroe for the evening highlights show. Boring as dishwater without McEnroe.”

Another agreed, writing, “What a disappointment. Anyway, the theme song remains…”

One tennis fan wrote: ‘I’m not enjoying the #TodayAtWimbledon format change at all. I know things change, but it feels completely impersonal and clinical right now. No ‘behind the scenes’ atmosphere, no chatty analysis, no human connection.’

And another added: ‘Completely agree, don’t sit at the table discussing the days, play live in the evening. I’m all for trying something new and accepting that presenters change, but this wasn’t right. Much prefer the old format. Clinical is a good description.’

Alom has previously presented a Radio 4 program about one of the sport’s most iconic stars, Arthur Ashe, and is also interested in cricket, rugby and athletics.

But fans admitted they missed Sue Barker – and others who hadn’t been seen at Wimbledon this year, including Boris Becker, who was released from prison in December after serving eight months of his two-and-a-half-year sentence for bankruptcy fraud.

One wrote: “It’s a joke gone too far – bring back Boris Becker, Sue Barker and keep Annabel Croft.”

Meanwhile, Barker seems to have found a new way to spend her summers. The presenter, who has presented the BBC’s coverage of the tournament for 30 years, was spotted driving a premium Porsche 911 Turbo S in the Cotswolds last weekend.

Ms Barker, 67, was pictured getting into the vehicle, which costs more than £180,000 and has a top speed of 200 mph, before donning sunglasses and driving off.

Ms Barker was paid a six-figure salary of up to £189,999, according to last year’s BBC list of top earners.

She retired from presenting Wimbledon coverage last summer after 30 years and received an emotional farewell from tennis stars Tim Henman, Andy Murray and Roger Federer.

Barker has revealed that she ‘didn’t want to be phased out’ from presenting Wimbledon.

Speak against BBC Women’s Hour earlier this year, the presenter said she wanted to ‘stay on top forever’, adding: ‘I wanted to do Wimbledon on my own terms. BBC Sport offered me a new contract, but I knew that with age and time and with everything that happens over the next few years, I would be a bit phased out.’

New presenter Qasa Alom was part of the team on the BBC’s coverage of the Commonwealth Games and the London Marathon – as well as helming shows on BBC’s Asian Network and 5 Live.

Elsewhere, the filmmaker runs his own YouTube channel, QasaVision, which explores issues arising from the climate crisis, and is passionate about protecting the environment.

In the summer of 2021, he was hired as the host of The Hundred and also launched a podcast with Davis Cup champion Dominic Inglot, the Real Tennis Pod, where he discusses one of his greatest passions.

As if Alom wasn’t busy enough already, he also travels the world making short documentaries for his YouTube channel QasaVision.

In particular, the environmentalist (who also spoke at COP 27) uses the channel to research communities affected in some way by climate change.

A video shows Alom traveling to the community of Sunamganj in Bangladesh, which is flooded for eight months a year, to see how the people living there cope with the extreme weather conditions.

In another, Alom traveled across Europe, reporting on the wildfires raging through forests across the continent.

Recently, Alom teamed up with journalist Matthew Parris to profile tennis icon Arthure Ashe, who became the first black man to win Wimbledon and campaigned for social justice off the court.

In his personal life, Alom seems to enjoy traveling and has recently taken trips to European destinations such as Ibiza and Rome. When he’s home, he hangs out with his dog, Rafa – who may be named after tennis star Rafa Nadal.

Writing on Instagram about his new presenting gig last night, Alom said: “Can’t wait to wander around SW19, watch tennis, analyze the matches with the ex-players and just have a little fun making great TV!’