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For the next two weeks, the 2024 Wimbledon Championships will be dominating our TV screens as the world’s top tennis players flock to south-west London for the prestigious sporting event.
A star-studded line-up of presenters and commentators will front the BBC’s coverage this year, from broadcasting icons to tennis legends. Find out which famous faces will be bringing the tournament into the homes of millions across the nation…
Clare Balding, Qasa Alom, and Isa Guha are at the helm as this year’s main presenters. Isa will lead the coverage from 11 am before handing the reins to Clare in the afternoon. Meanwhile, Qasa will host the highlights show, Today, on BBC Two each evening.
While many Wimbledon fans will associate the BBC’s coverage with Sue Barker, the presenter stepped down as main presenter in 2022 after 30 years.
Despite being offered a contract extension until the end of the 2025 tournament, Sue decided to leave the role after discovering that meetings about her replacement were being held at the BBC.
“I just sensed that, as you get older, you’ve got not many years left,” she told The Telegraph in June. “And when you’re hearing that they’re having meetings about who’s to replace you…
© Todd Antony/BBC“Although they offered me a contract, I suddenly thought over those three years [on the contract extension], will it be a case of, ‘We’ll just diminish Sue’s role a little so that the transition is slightly easier.’ And I didn’t want to be diminished. I’d rather go out doing the top job.”
The 68-year-old added that while her departure came “a couple of years before I was ready to do it”, it was “absolutely the right time”.
The main radio coverage will be fronted by Gigi Salmon and Clare McDonnell. Listeners can tune into BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra and BBC Sounds.
For analysis during the Championships, the BBC will look to a number of ex-players, including John Lloyd, Louise Pleming, Peter Fleming, Colin Fleming, Jo Durie, Dominic Inglot, Liz Smylie, Nick Monroe, Arvind Parmar, Todd Woodbridge. Tennis coach Leon Smith will also be on hand to voice his opinion.
© Helen Murray/BBCMeanwhile, a broad range of sports journalists and broadcasters will be providing commentary. Andrew Castle, Andrew Cotter, Sam Smith, Chris Bradnam, Kat Downes, Nick Mullins, Matt Chilton, and Simon Reed will be sharing their expertise.
Rounding out this year’s commentators are John Inverdale, Ronald McIntosh, Alison Mitchell, James Burridge, Abigail Johnson, Andy Stevenson, Paul Hand, Nick Lester, Pete Odgers and David Law.
© Helen MurrayA host of former Wimbledon champions will give their expert opinions on this year’s tournament, including John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King and Pat Cash.
They’ll be joined by the likes of Tim Henman, Tracy Austin, Annabel Croft, and Johanna Konta on their screens.
© Helen MurrayViewers can also expect two new additions to the line-up, with 2021 Wimbledon champion and former world No 1 Ash Barty and 2022 Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios making their debut in the studio.
