BBC Radio 4 – Desert Island Discs

1. She was an unexpected youngest child

Sue was born in 1956 to Bob and Betty in Paignton, Devon but as she recounts, she wasn’t the longed-for third child as her parents had planned to stop at two.

“My dad particularly,” says Sue. “He worked really hard, but they just budgeted for two kids, and they didn’t have a lot of money left over. And then a few months after my brother was born suddenly Mum was pregnant again.”

Laughing, Sue adds: “She always said, ‘I really, I didn’t, I didn’t want you, I feel so bad about it’. But my mum and I had the most wonderful relationship. They [had to] cut corners, which is why I really salute them in giving me my tennis career as well because they couldn’t afford even to buy me a tennis racquet. It was a huge thing because if you have three children, you can’t favour one.”

2. Her father enjoyed an active lifestyle. Her mother less so…

There was a 16-year gap in Sue’s parents’ ages and her dad was in his 50s when she was born.

“I never ever thought he was an older dad,” says Sue. “He was fit and healthy. I mean even while he was in his 60s, we were climbing Haytor on Dartmoor together, waving to Mum… and he was a wonderful, wonderful dad.”

Betty, Sue’s mum, lived to the age of 100, although a healthy lifestyle was never a priority for her:

“Not at all,” says Sue. “She wasn’t known as Betty Six Gins for nothing! Every time the clock ticked up to 6 o’clock, the gin and tonic would come out.”

“But also, everything she’d eat was wrong. I keep looking at food and trying different diets and how to be healthy. My mum – everything was white bread, processed meats, no water, never drank water, and she lived to 100, so maybe we’re all getting it wrong,” Sue laughs.

3. A PE teacher provided vital early encouragement on the tennis court

Sue recalls that she fell in love with tennis at the age of six or seven: “My sister Jane had…