The BBC have brought in Nick Kyrgios and Ashleigh Barty to spice up their punditry team ahead of this year’s Wimbledon. The tournament starts early next month and the world’s best players are already turning their attention towards SW19 after Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek capped off the clay-court season with French Open victories.
Clare Balding and Isa Guha have once again been selected to host the BBC‘s Wimbledon coverage this summer, and they will be flanked by a selection of familiar faces.
John McEnroe and Tracy Austin will be in the studio and the commentary box to provide American expertise, women’s greats Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King have also been retained since last year, as well as a strong British contingent comprising Tim Henman, Johanna Konta and Annabel Croft.
There is also a strong turnout for the Aussies, as regular fixture Pat Cash will this year be joined by Kyrgios and Barty. Kyrgios has become increasingly involved in media work over the past 18 months, during which time he has only played one professional match.
The 29-year-old, who reached the Wimbledon final in 2022, would have been allowed to ditch his pundit and commentator role if he had been able to regain fitness in time for this year’s tournament, but his inclusion in the BBC‘s line-up effectively confirms that he will not appear out on court.
Since it emerged last month that Kyrgios was being lined up for a TV role at SW19, the BBC have faced criticism from MPs and women’s campaigners.
Kyrgios pled guilty to assaulting his ex-girlfriend in 2023 but avoided a conviction. Caroline Nokes, the women and equalities committee chair, even called for the broadcaster to ‘hang its head in shame‘.
Barty will be in London to provide her expertise despite initially claiming she had no interest in becoming a tennis pundit after retiring from tennis in 2022, at the age of just 25, as a three-time Grand Slam champion.
Now 28 years old, Barty has spent time playing golf tournaments all over the globe since she hung up her racket, and the former women’s No.1 welcomed her first child in July last year.
Also included in the BBC‘s commentary line-up are the likes of Andrew Castle, Peter Fleming, Jo Durie, Anne Keothavong, John Lloyd, Naomi Cavaday, and Todd Woodbridge.