From tennis balls to glitter balls – Annabel Croft is bringing her tour to Suffolk

Annabel Croft is set to tell all as she brings her UK tour to Suffolk this November.

Aged just 15, Annabel Croft was the youngest Briton to play in the Wimbledon main draw for nearly 100 years. She won the Wimbledon and Australian Open girls' tournaments in 1984 and became the British No. 1 female tennis player. She has since developed a successful TV career, becoming a popular presenter and sports pundit for several major networks.

She has also appeared in pantomimes, sung in musicals, turned the spotlight on homelessness by living on the streets, tried her hand at yacht racing and, of course, taken part in Strictly Come Dancing.

She says: “When opportunities arise, I’ve always been the sort of person to walk through the door and at the very least take a look at what’s involved. I never been afraid of putting myself in places where I could end up falling flat on my face – which believe me has happened on more than one occasion! But that shouldn’t ever discourage you. We should never be afraid to give things a try.”

Now she’s lifting the lid on it all in a new touring show ‘Annabel Croft: From Tennis Balls to Glitter Balls’.

Annabel will share unforgettable moments from her career, including interviews with legends like Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. She’ll also transport audiences to the glitz and glamour of Strictly Come Dancing.

“I am really excited to be going on this tour,” she says. “When I was 11 years old, a schoolteacher asked me to write an essay called ‘What I Would Like To Do’. I said I wanted to be able to play tennis, win Wimbledon, make journeys all around the world, and dance on stage. Well, I did indeed play tennis at Wimbledon and win the Open Girls’ tournament there. I did travel the world playing in many tournaments. And many years later I also got to dance on one of the biggest stages of all, taking part in the magical TV show Strictly Come Dancing.

“In between, there have been many highs and lows, laughs and tears, but every day has been part of life’s huge learning experience. Not everyone is lucky enough to see so many of their childhood dreams come true… so I hope that 11-year-old Annabel would look at me now and think that I’ve not done too badly!”

Right now, she’s just trying to enjoy life’s simpler pleasures like taking regular walks and connecting with nature.

“I’m focusing much more about being in the moment, and enjoying what I’m doing now,” she says. “It’s something that the top sports people are trained to do and is one of tennis legend Billie Jean King’s most famous lines: be present.”

Annabel Croft is at The Apex in Bury St Edmunds on 6 November at 7.30pm.

FOR SHOW DETAILS AND BOOKING LINK, CLICK HERE