Annabel Croft has been a familiar face on the BBC’s Wimbledon coverage for years and she has been open about her life away from tennis.
Former tennis star Annabel Croft was subject to “death skull” social media posts.
BBC presenter Annabel Croft has returned to her role within the broadcasting team for Wimbledon 2026, and the former tennis champion has been candid about her personal life beyond the sporting arena. She’s previously spoken out about feeling “sick” and “shaken” following vicious online abuse.
The 59 year old, who has been open about her personal life, confessed she was “shocked” by the remarks she encountered on social media while appearing on Eurosport’s International Women’s Day – Women in Sport programme in 2021.
At the time, she told host Orla Chennaoui how one particularly “vicious” online assault had genuinely affected her. During a conversation about trolling with fellow panellists, England’s former netball head coach Tracey Neville and cyclist Lizzy Banks, she discussed the power of online anonymity.
“I’m just deeply shocked by the viciousness that is out there on social media,” she confessed.
The presenter went on to describe the impact a frightening incident on X, formerly Twitter, had on her at the time.
“Recently I had somebody who made me feel physically sick and shake inside from what they were saying,” she disclosed.
“I’ve never met them, but the viciousness. And actually, someone put a death skull across a tweet about me the other day.”
Later in the conversation, Banks acknowledged that she had chosen to withdraw from the platform on the basis that she felt it was “just too negative”.
Speaking to the BBC ahead of Wimbledon 2026, Croft opened up about the profound social challenges faced by tennis players, admitting she only truly found herself after hanging up her racket.
In a BBC Sport interview, she revealed it was “impossible for tennis players to have a normal social life” because treating fellow competitors as rivals severely limits meaningful friendships and takes a heavy toll on overall wellbeing.
She also touched on how many tennis players only begin to understand their true identity following retirement, finally able to discover who they are beyond the court.
Coverage of Wimbledon 2026 resumes on BBC One today at 2pm.
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