Meet the Wigan radiologist who lived an incredible double life for 18 years
Dr Subhasis Basu is one of the most esteemed medics in his field, but for almost two decades he lived a remarkable double life. The Consultant Musculoskeletal Radiologist at Wrightington Hospital is a fellowship-trained Sports Medicine Radiologist who began playing tennis aged six and channelled his love of the sport into a 25-year umpiring career.
Rising to the pinnacle of the profession, Dr Basu walked onto the world's most famous courts alongside tennis royalty, serving as a line umpire at numerous Grand Slam tournaments. He officiated at 18 Wimbledon championships until his remarkable run in SW19 came to an end in 2024, coinciding with a historic turning point where artificial intelligence and Live Electronic Line-Calling completely replaced on-court line judges.
Among the high-profile matches he officiated was the famous Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal semi-final in 2019. A memorable moment came on Court 3 several years ago when one of the players spontaneously handed him their racket to play a couple of points. "Being an official involved lots of theory practical assessments and regular appraisals alongside travelling to tournaments of all levels year-round," he said.
Dr Basu said there was a symbiotic relationship between his medical career and his time on the tennis court. As an MSK radiologist, he treats sports injuries, orthopaedic conditions and rheumatological ailments daily. His 18 years at Wimbledon has given him a unique masterclass in human biomechanics. Having spent decades visually dissecting the movements, deceleration and repetitive strains of the world's most elite athletes, he possesses an intuitive understanding of how the human body moves and breaks.
Today that elite-level perspective is woven into the cutting-edge care he provides. When analysing complex X-rays, CT scans, MRIs or ultrasounds, Dr Basu doesn't just see a static image on a screen; he visualises the dynamic real-world mechanics behind the injury. Whether performing precise ultrasound-guided injections or reporting on subtle ligament tears, his patients benefit from a clinical diagnostic eye that has been sharpened by decades of elite sporting excellence.