John McEnroe‘s Wimbledon commentary drew constant criticism this year, and now the numbers suggest its costing him. The BBC’s newly released salary disclosures confirm McEnroe has fallen below the corporation’s mandatory reporting threshold for a second straight year, a clear sign his fee for calling the tournament keeps shrinking.

McEnroe’s relationship with the BBC dates back to 2004. He earned between £205,000 and £209,000 for the 2022-23 season, then between £195,000 and £199,000 the year after that. British law requires the BBC to disclose anyone paid more than £178,000 annually, and McEnroe’s name has now been absent from that list for two years running, meaning his current fee sits below that mark.

That drops lines up with a broader shakeup already underway at the BBC. The broadcaster brought in new voices for this year’s Wimbledon coverage, including Jamie Murray and Laura Robson, part of a shift toward sharper, analysis-driven commentary. Murray’s tactical breakdowns were well received, and Robson spent long hours courtside through the heat, offering close reads on player behavior that felt like a departure from the network’s older style.

That contrast made McEnroe’s own commentary stand out for different reasons.

He has never hidden his preference for star names over lesser-known players, and it’s shown up in past mishaps. He once admitted he didn’t know who Nicolas Jarry was while Jarry was playing Carlos Alcaraz, a moment that drew heavy backlash at the time. His pronunciation has been an ongoing target too, most recently when he struggled through Alexander Zverev’s and Flavio Cobolli’s names during the French Open final.

Those same old habits were never far from the surface, and this year’s Wimbledon gave them plenty of room to resurface.

John McEnroe Made Commentary Blunders at This Year’s Wimbledon as Well

Some of McEnroe’s old habits followed him close this year as well.

During Serena Williams’ highly anticipated return against Maya Joint, McEnroe drew accusations of bias after saying on air that Williams “has got really fit, she’s used a weight loss drug, I bet that will go up the roof now. ”

This remark overshadowed any real analysis of Joint, even though it was Joint who won the match. Days later, he appeared visibly frustrated when a co-commentator pressed him on whether Williams’ Wimbledon run was over for good, a moment fans picked up on as further proof he was more invested in Williams’ story than the tennis in front of him.

The mispronunciations continued too. McEnroe mangled Zverev’s name again during the Wimbledon final, a recurring issue by that point, though it was Andre Agassi, his co-commentator that day, who drew separate criticism for swearing on air during the same broadcast.

McEnroe also stepped away from the booth mid-tournament. During the third-round match between Arthur Fery and Grigor Dimitrov, he left during a break between sets, telling viewers he had a contractual obligation to cover Taylor Fritz’s match elsewhere. Co-commentator Andrew Cotter joked on air that McEnroe was leaving “never to return,” a line that summed up how much patience had worn thin by that point in the tournament.

Despite all of it, McEnroe has kept his BBC role, even as the network reshapes its commentary lineup around him. He still splits his tennis broadcasting duties between the BBC and ESPN, and he’s expected to be back behind the microphone for the US Open later this summer. It would be interesting to see whether the criticism from this Wimbledon follows him there.