Annabel Croft was accompanied by her son Charlie as she returned to Wimbledon’s Centre Court on Thursday for Jasmine Paolini’s women’s semi-final match against Donna Vekic.
The former tennis star, now a regular contributor to television and radio coverage of the annual championships, turned heads in a seasonal floral print summer dress as she took her seat at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.
Standing alongside his mother, Charlie, 27 (the second of Croft’s three children with late husband Mel Coleman), looked dapper in a pale linen blazer and sky blue trousers.
Croft, 57, is co-hosting this year’s tournament for the BBC just over a year after losing her husband Mel Coleman to stomach cancer.
The couple met in the 1980s, when Mel Coleman had just competed in the America’s Cup and Annabel was about to give up professional tennis, at the tender age of 21.
Annabel Croft was accompanied by her son Charlie as she returned to Wimbledon Centre Court on Thursday for Jasmine Paolini’s women’s semi-final match against Donna Vekic.
The former tennis player, now a regular contributor to television and radio coverage of the annual championship, caught the eye in a summer dress with a seasonal floral print.
Following his death in May 2023, Annabel channelled her grief into work, including her regular presenting role at Wimbledon.
“I don’t know how I did it, I cried a lot, I cried every day,” she told Weekend magazine.
“There were many times, even backstage, when I was in tears. It was extraordinary afterwards how, once I had to go out and do the job, I focused on what I knew.”
She added: “In many ways, work was a respite from the terrible pain. It was a rest for the mind after crying.”
“People were so kind, so caring and understanding, they kept telling me, ‘You’re doing such an amazing job and you’re so brave.’ But for me, work was a salvation.”
The presenter stepped out of her comfort zone in September after signing up for the 21st series of Strictly Come Dancing.
Partnering South African ballroom dance specialist Johannes Radebe, Croft finished an impressive fourth place.
And she admits that Radebe, whose cousin had taken his own life just weeks before her return to the show, was initially unsure whether he wanted a partner.
Annabel Croft returned to Wimbledon’s Centre Court on Thursday, only this time as a spectator as Jasmine Paolini played Donna Vekic for a place in the final.
Croft is co-hosting this year’s tournament for the BBC just over a year after losing her husband Mel Coleman to stomach cancer.
The presenter seemed to be in a very good mood as she waited for the semi-final match to begin.
Croft is pictured with her late husband Mel Coleman, a champion sailor and banker. He died in 2023 after a brief battle with stomach cancer.
“I think he was a little scared at first about having to deal with my pain when he was dealing with a lot of pain himself,” she said.
“It was very emotional behind the scenes for both of us, there were a lot of tears at a lot of different moments.”
Croft was confirmed as a Strictly contestant almost immediately after Wimbledon, and the show gave her another chance to channel her loss through work.
“I knew it would help me, because when it started to get dark on the fall evenings, it would be hard to go back to the empty house that Mel used to be in,” she said.
“So the idea of getting out of bed every day and learning a new skill was a comfort to me.”
The presenter stepped out of her comfort zone in September after signing up for the 21st series of Strictly Come Dancing, where she was paired with Johannes Radebe.
