Annabel Nicola Croft was born on 12 July 1966 in Farnborough, Kent, England. Her father James, a chartered surveyor educated at Sutton Valence School, married her mother Susan Templer in June 1963; the family lived in Bickley, Kent.

Croft won the Wimbledon and Australian Open girls’ titles in 1984, turned professional, and reached a career-high world ranking of 24 in December 1985, representing Great Britain in the Fed Cup and Wightman Cup. She retired in 1988, aged 21, citing burnout from constant travel.

She moved straight into television, fronting Channel 4’s Treasure Hunt and ITV’s Interceptor, and has since become one of Britain’s most established tennis broadcasters — covering Wimbledon for the BBC and BBC Radio 5 Live, and working as a pundit for Sky Sports Tennis alongside Gigi Salmon and Jonathan Overend. In 2023 she was a Strictly Come Dancing contestant, finishing fourth with partner Johannes Radebe.

Croft was married to yachtsman Mel Coleman from 1993 until his death from stomach cancer in May 2023; they had three children together and lived in Coombe, near Wimbledon.