Wimbledon is back for 2022 with a familiar line-up of presenters, pundits and commentators ready to walk us through The Championships once again.
However, the established order is set to change following this year’s tournament after the bombshell news that celebrated broadcaster and former tennis star Sue Barker will step down from her role after this tournament.
Barker has been the face of BBC coverage for 30 years and will front daily coverage from the All England Club for the final time in 2022. The 66-year-0ld reportedly turned down a three-year deal to stay on as the lead presenter, but has decided to call it a day on her terms.
Fans will be sure to show their appreciation for the face of tennis in the UK and could be about to get a glimpse of her eventual replacement during coverage over the coming days and weeks.
BBC boast extensive coverage of Wimbledon once again this year across their TV, radio and online platforms so you need not miss a game, set or match for the entire two weeks.
RadioTimes.com brings you everything you need to know about the Wimbledon 2022 presenters, pundits and commentators.
Who is presenting Wimbledon coverage on TV?
Daily coverage from SW19 will be available across a whole range of BBC platforms, from their main TV channels to BBC iPlayer to the BBC Sport website, Red Button and beyond.
Live matches and highlights programmes are set top dominate the airwaves for the next couple of weeks and we’ve rounded up the faces and voices you’ll see and hear over that time.
Sue Barker
Barker, who became a professional tennis player as a teenager, peaked at number three in the world as a singles player and her career highlight was winning the French Open in 1976 – her only Grand Slam victory.
After retiring from tennis, Barker embarked on a successful career as a TV presenter beginning in Australia, before moving to Sky and then the BBC in 1993 where she has become a mainstay of tennis and major sport events coverage ever since. She also presents A Question of Sport.
Isa Guha
Former England international cricketer Guha is a new addition to the BBC presenting team and her presence in the line-up is sure to increase speculation that she could step into Sue Barker’s esteemed shoes on a greater basis from 2023 onwards.
She will introduce each day of coverage (from 10:30am on Day 1, from 11am on each day after that) before handing the reins to Barker in the early afternoon to take viewers into each evening.
Guha has a wealth of experience commentating and presenting cricket coverage across multiple channels around the world, including BBC’s beloved Test Match Special and Sky Sports’ coverage.
John McEnroe
Recognised as one of the greatest male tennis players of all time, McEnroe won seven singles Grand Slams and eight doubles Grand Slams in his illustrious career – including lifting the singles title at Wimbledon three time in 1981, 1983 and 1984. Since retiring from tennis McEnroe has become one of the leading pundits and commentators in world tennis.
Martina Navratilova
Navratilova is considered to be one of the best ever female tennis players, with an astonishing record of winning 18 Grand Slam titles during her career – including nine Wimbledon titles between 1979 and 1990. Having dominated the game for so long as a player, her expert insight into the current game has made her a mainstay of tennis broadcasts across the world.
Billie Jean King
A former world number one player, King won an incredible 39 Grand Slam titles during her career: 12 in singles, 16 in women’s doubles, and 11 in mixed doubles. Considered to be one of the true greats of modern tennis, she has provided expert commentary for the BBC and other broadcasters for many years.
Pat Cash
Former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash is a familiar face for many across the world after lifting the prestigious trophy in 1987. The Australian is synonymous with Wimbledon after being the first player to climb into the stands to celebrate, a tradition that is now frequently repeated.
Tracy Austin
A Wimbledon semi-finalist twice and winner of three Grand Slam titles in her tennis career, Tracy Austin is the youngest winner of the US Open singles title. Her career was sadly curtailed by injury and an accident – but she has gone on to be a regular fixture in commentary and analysis.
Tim Henman
One of the best known British players of the modern era, Tim Henman flew the flag as British number one for many years during the late 1990s and early 2000s, reaching the Wimbledon semi-final no less than four times as a singles player – and reaching the same stage of both the American and French Open. Sadly he was never to win a singles Grand Slam title, but he is still one of the most recognised names in English tennis, synonymous with Wimbledon.
Johanna Konta
Konta is the most successful British woman at Wimbledon in modern times having reached the semi-finals in 2017. She reached the semi-finals in three different Grand Slams and became world No.4 in 2017 but couldn’t land a major title and retired in 2021 due to injury.
Caroline Wozniacki
Former World No.1 Wozniacki spent 71 weeks as world No.1 at the top of the women’s game but had to wait until 2018 for her maiden Grand Slam victory in the Australian Open. She was also a two-time US Open finalist before retiring in 2020. Remarkably, Wozniacki reached the fourth round of Wimbledon on six occasions but never went beyond.
Annabel Croft
A famous face of British tennis, Croft is a regular expert voice across various TV platforms including BBC and Amazon Prime Video. She reached world No.24 in 1985 before retiring at the age of just 21 due to the intense rigours of travel and lack of enjoyment in the game. Croft has since become a household name in the UK due to her career in the media.
During live matches commentary and insight will also be provided by the following: Chris Bradnam, James Burridge, Andrew Castle, Matt Chilton, Kim Clijsters, Andrew Cotter, Kat Downes, Jo Durie, Colin Fleming, Peter Fleming, Paul Hand, John Inverdale, Abigail Johnson, David Law, Nick Lester, John Lloyd, Miles MacLagan, Ronald McIntosh, Alison Mitchell, Nick Mullins, Pete Odgers, Arvind Parmar, Louise Pleming, Simon Reed, Sam Smith, Liz Smylie, Mel South and Andy Stevenson.
Who presents Today at Wimbledon?
The highlights programme Today at Wimbledon is on daily at 8:30pm throughout The Championships, presented by sports broadcaster Clare Balding.
Beginning her career in broadcasting as a BBC trainee in 1994, Balding has become one of the most recognised sports presenters in the UK, reporting on television or radio from numerous Olympic Games’ as well as fronting television coverage of horse racing, rugby, athletics and much more.
She has presented non-sporting shows including Countryfile and coverage of major events such as The Trooping of the Colour.
Who are the radio presenters, pundits and commentators?
Extensive coverage of Wimbledon will be available for radio listeners on BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra and on BBC Sounds. The main radio coverage each day will be fronted by a familiar duo live from the tournament.
Tony Livesey, who spent the first part of his journalistic career in newspapers, began his career in radio in 2006 on BBC Lancashire before later becoming one of the most recognised voices on Radio 5 Live. He is currently a regular presenter of the Drive show that broadcasts between 4pm and 7pm daily.
Gigi Salmon is a sports presenter and broadcaster with several decades of experience working across television and radio. She has presented for Chelsea TV, Talksport and Radio5 Live to name but a few and is a very recognisable voice around tennis tournaments for radio listeners.
The pair will be joined on rotation by a wealth of tennis experts to provide punditry and analysis throughout Wimbledon, including; Naomi Broady, Annabel Croft, Miles Maclagan, Laura Robson, Chanda Rubin, Leon Smith, Jeff Tarango and Mark Woodforde.
Radio commentary will be provided by Russell Fuller along with Iain Carter, Naomi Cavaday, Abigail Johnson, David Law, Alison Mitchell, Sara Orchard, Jonathan Overend and Gigi Salmon plus there will be additional reporting from around the tournament by Aaron Paul.
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