Following those victories, Annabel went on to win the Virginia Slims of San Diego tournament in 1985, beating Wendy Turnbull in the final in straight sets. In December 1985, she achieved a world ranking of 21, going on to play for Great Britain in the Fed Cup and in the Wightman Cup. Despite her potential and being amongst the world’s top 25 players, Annabel retired from professional tennis very early at the age of only 21, keen to start a family.
Immediately after her retirement, she became the new face of Channel 4’s prime time show Treasure Hunt, following Anneka Rice’s successful run. This was followed by her own show on ITV, Interceptor. She has been involved in coverage of Wimbledon Tennis Championship for the BBC, Radio 5 Live and GMTV, and has also worked for Sky Sports Eurosport as a tennis pundit.
In addition, she has appeared on UK TV shows such as The Wright Stuff, The Entertainment Show, GMTV, Out and About and This Morning. In June 2009 Annabel was one of five volunteers who took part in a BBC two-part Famous, Rich and Homeless, about living penniless on the streets of London, with a follow-up radio show around Christmas time entitled James: My Alcoholic Friend, where she tries to track down the rough sleeper with whom she had spent a night on the streets.
In May 2012, Annabel gave a speech at the Oxford Union in which, after talking about her tennis and media presenter careers, she spoke at length of her three-day experience of living on the streets and the friendship she had formed with James during that time. Just months later, she launched a company called DiaryDoll with TV presenter Carol Smillie, retailing waterproof pants for periods, post-maternity and pelvic-floor weakness, with an aim to be pretty, feminine and breathable whilst reducing stigma of the topic of women’s pelvic health.
Annabel is high in demand for corporate events and has appeared at various awards presentations, product launches and corporate conferences, all of which have profited from her captivating approach and the diversity she brings to her work.
