The BBC has been handed a huge scheduling headache on the first day of Wimbledon. One of the flagship events of the corporation’s dwindling sports portfolio begins on Monday with a mouthwatering day of action at SW19.
However, there is one rather big problem facing the Beeb from the off: two of the tournament’s biggest names are in action at the same time on the show courts. At 1pm, British superstar Emma Raducanu begins her challenge against Croatia’s Antonia Ruzic on Court One. Thirty minutes later, men’s singles champion Jannik Sinner is due to begin the defence of his title on Centre Court against Miomir Kecmanovic of Serbia.
Showing the defending champion would normally be a no-brainer but the presence of Raducanu, of whom there is huge interest in, complicates the situation. Monday’s coverage commences at 10.30am on BBC Two and runs until 7pm. But coverage on BBC One doesn’t start until 2pm, by which time the Sinner and Raducanu matches will be underway.
Therefore, the first part of one of the matches will only be available on iPlayer, which will show the action from all 18 courts. Whatever the BBC decides will surely polarise opinion.
The national broadcaster caused consternation at the recent HSBC Championship at Queen’s when it decided to show Serena Williams’ comeback match in the ladies’ doubles rather than Raducanu and Katie Boulter’s match against Storm Hunter and Shuai Zhang, which was not available on iPlayer either.
The decision did not go down well with some fans, who felt the British duo should have been given top billing instead. However, many fans will be pleased with the news that the BBC has extended its contract to broadcast the tournament live on TV and online until 2033.
This year, Clare Balding and Isa Guha will lead the corporation’s daily TV coverage across BBC One, BBC Two and BBC iPlayer, joined by a team of pundits and commentators including John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova, Pat Cash, Tim Henman, Annabel Croft and Kyle Edmund.
This year’s tournament will be Andrew Castle’s last with the BBC, bringing to a close more than two decades of Wimbledon commentary. Former champions and tennis stars Andre Agassi, Jamie Murray OBE, Genie Bouchard and Laura Robson will also feature.
Jamie Murray, a two-time Wimbledon mixed doubles champion, joins as BBC Sport’s dedicated analysis expert. Using enhanced match data, advanced technology and tactical breakdowns, he will attempt to offer viewers deeper insight.