Being the oldest grand slam is not the only reason the Wimbledon Championships is considered the most prestigious slam. To play on the grass courts of SW19 is the dream of many players, and to cover the tournament is the dream of several veterans. However, not all tennis commentators and analysts get the role. As the tournament is right around the corner, here are the handful who managed to make it into the team. 

ESPN set to call American legends

ESPN is ready to cover the tournament for the Americas. John Isner, who played the longest (11 hours and 5 minutes) and second-longest (6 hours and 33 minutes) matches in the history of the ATP at Wimbledon, will make his commentary debut with ESPN. Isner’s story with Wimbledon goes deeper, as he also set a record for most aces, 113, in the longest match ever.

He will be accompanied by Nick Kyrgios, James Blake, Sam Borden, Darren Cahill, Chris Evert, Mary Joe Fernandez, Cliff Drysdale, Chris Fowler, Brad Gilbert, Jason Goodall, John McEnroe, Patrick McEnroe, Chris McKendry, Mike Monaco, Pam Shriver and Rennae Stubbs. The team, packed with stars, will deliver prime insights to American fans.

BBC’s humungous commentary team for the Wimbledon 2024 

Veterans and legends often turn to covering the sport, with several opting to share their insights in the BBC box. This year is no different. The British Broadcasting Corporation has brought back Clare Balding and Isa Guha. They will be present in the studio alongside John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King, Pat Cash, and Tracy Austin with Tim Henman, Johanna Konta, and Annabel Croft.

Along with them, Nick Kyrgios and Ash Barty will help with commentary and analysis. The roster further expands with Chris Bradnam, James Burridge, Andrew Castle, Naomi Cavaday, Matt Chilton, Andrew Cotter, Annabel Croft, Katherine Downes, Jo Durie, Colin Fleming, Peter Fleming, Paul Hand, Dom Inglot, Abigail Johnson. That’s not all, folks!

Anne Keothavong, Robbie Koenig, David Law, Nick Lester, John Lloyd, Ronald Mcintosh, Alison Mitchell, Nick Monroe, Nick Mullins, Pete Odgers, Arvind Parmar, Louise Pleming, Simon Reed, Candy Reid, Chanda Rubin, Sam Smith, Liz Smylie, Mel South, Todd Woodbridge will also share their talents in the coverage. But wait, there’s more!

Jayant Mistry, Louise Hunt, and Katie O’Brien O’Brien will provide coverage for the wheelchair events to close out the BBC team.

Tennis Channel to have prime journalists

The biggest tennis broadcasting network in the US also announced their team for the tournament. Tennis Channel will have nightly coverage for the slam in the evening sessions. They will begin at 5 p.m. ET for most of the days, covering the event from day 1 till the culmination on July 14th.

Match segments, analysis, interviews, news, and feature reporting for them will take place by Navratilova, Lindsay Davenport, Jim Courier, Brett Haber, Steve Weissman, and Jon Wertheim.

Sky Sports call in veteran commentators for the Wimbledon

BBC’s British competitors are choosing not to be left behind and have called Gigi Salmon, with commentary from Jonathan Overend, Tim Henman, and Laura Robson, for the grass slam. Although small, their team includes those who have been in this field for years. Salmon has worked for talkSPORT, Chelsea TV, and Radio Wimbledon, and even spent a few years with BBC.

Tim Henman has been a regular on BBC’s coverage of Wimbledon since retiring in 2007. However, for the French Open earlier this year, he opted for Eurosport, like Laura Robson. 

Eurosport has also shared the names of the stars who will help them provide coverage for the tournament. Mats Wilander, Boris Becker, Barbara Schett, and Marion Bartoli have also stepped in to put their years of tennis knowledge to good use.

This year’s cast is star-studded, as usual. However, the roster competing for the title in Wimbledon is still fresh. With the younger stars eyeing the big prize, we will see the analytical skills of these veterans at work as they provide insights about their game. Are you excited?