Ally McCoist and Laura Woods pay tribute to Sue Barker after tearful Wimbledon farewell and messages from Andy Murray, Roger Federer and Billie Jean King

talkSPORT’s Ally McCoist and Laura Woods have paid fitting tributes to ‘the greatest’ Sue Barker, following the legendary broadcaster’s last ever Wimbledon.

The Grand Slam champion-turned-presenter bid a tearful farewell as she hung up her microphone after 30 years as the voice of Wimbledon for the BBC.

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As much as tennis fans were glued to the two finals featuring Novak Djokovic’s battle with Nick Kygrios and a gripping three-set women’s final between the victorious Elena Rybakina and Ons Jabeur, Barker shared centre stage for the finals weekend as she brought the curtain down on her celebrated career.

Branded ‘The GOAT’ by Billie Jean King, other tennis legends including Sir Andy Murray, Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal also praised the former French Open winner in an emotional montage shown after the final - which left Barker in tears.

That came after Barker interviewed the men’s finalists, Djokovic and Kyrgios, on centre court for the final time.

In true ‘Auntie Sue’ - as Tim Henman calls her - style, she congratulated both athletes and then walked off the court without fanfare, leaving Djokovic to take the plaudits and celebrate his seventh Wimbledon title.

It wasn’t until afterwards in a conversation with Clare Balding that fitting tributes were made to an icon of British sports broadcasting, with Murray declaring: "You are going to be missed by everyone who loves tennis".

Rangers legend McCoist spent several years on A Question of Sport with Barker, where banter routinely flew between them.

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And he added his own tribute on Monday’s talkSPORT Breakfast, saying: “She’s the best, the greatest - it’s a fact.

“The public absolutely adore her, as they should, because she has been absolutely tremendous, a first-class broadcaster.

“People like Roger Federer, Billie Jean King, all these huge tennis legends have been paying tribute, but I know that it will mean as much to her getting tributes from the general public.

“Sue is one of these broadcasters where you watch her on the TV, you’ve grown up with her and it’s as if she’s part of the family, it’s as if she’s sitting in the living room with you.

“That’s the biggest compliment you can pay her. She is just brilliant - a great girl.”

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Breakfast host Woods also revealed Barker’s inspiration and influence on her own broadcasting career.

Woods said: “All of my generation remember Sue Barker on A Question of Sport where she was just exceptional, handling the likes of a certain Ally McCoist with such poise - she was just wonderful.

“Sue has a bit of everything as a presenter. She manages to do this thing where she is incredibly warm, makes you feel like your friend, but she also has this great authority.

“I always remember you guys taking the mick and being like kids at school, and every now and then she would just crack the whip and you were back in the room!”

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“Listen, you are absolutely correct,” replied McCoist. “And I can tell you right now that she can handle herself as well, don’t worry about that. 

“When there’s a bit of flack going about, she could handle it, and she could give as good as she got!”

Woods continued: “People always ask, for female broadcasters, who are your female inspirations - and for our generationIi think the best compliment I can give Sue Barker is that it was never that she was a women I aspired to be like, it was just that she was an excellent broadcaster, full stop.

“To be someone you can really warm to, you turn the TV on, you see Sue Barker and hear her voice and it just feels normal.

“We’ll all miss her. It’s the end of an era.”