The BBC's lead Wimbledon commentator Andrew Castle will depart after this year's Championships, as the broadcaster looks to take coverage in a new direction. The 62-year-old former British No. 1 has been a familiar voice on television and radio for over two decades, but this will be his final Wimbledon as the BBC's lead commentator.
The All England Club reportedly asked the broadcaster to modernise its Wimbledon coverage. Castle holds no resentment over the decision, telling The Times: “To be honest, when I got the job 23 years ago, a lot of the more experienced commentators felt that they should have been first in line. Their noses were put out of joint. So, in the wider scheme of things, I am lucky that I had the best gig in sports broadcasting for so long, during the greatest age of men’s tennis.”
Castle's career highlights include calling Andy Murray's historic 2013 Wimbledon victory, ending Britain's 77-year wait for a men's singles champion. “That last game was something. Murray had three match points, which Djokovic saved. The tension was unbearable,” Castle recalled. “The director asked for a push into Andy’s eyes, a lingering shot as he was grimacing after a gruelling rally. I think it was deuce. He was two points away from the thing he’d always dreamt of. A line came to me, ‘Sporting immortality doesn’t come easily’.”
Looking ahead, Castle is positive about the future: “My wife Sophia and I are building a house and we’re about to have a third grandchild, so things are good. I am not sure what will come next professionally, but whatever it is, I’ll embrace it.”
The BBC's decision comes amid criticism of its sports coverage. Viewers were unhappy when Serena Williams' comeback match at Queen's was moved online to show a repeat of Richard Osman's House of Games. The BBC has also faced flak for its World Cup coverage, with pundits presenting from Salford rather than the US. Live sport, once a BBC strength, has seen losses of exclusive rights to events like the Commonwealth Games, Boat Race, Paralympics, Formula One, and Test cricket.
From 2027, the BBC's Wimbledon coverage will change. Eugenie Bouchard, 2014 Wimbledon runner-up, is set to join this summer, and Andre Agassi commentated last year. Laura Robson, already with Sky Sports and TNT Sports, is a potential recruit. Express Sport has contacted the BBC for comment.
