A tennis news outlet asked me this week for my opinion of “the best and worst of TNT’s Roland Garros broadcasting coverage.”
TNT began it’s first year of covering Roland Garros this year, a deal that will extend nine more years.
TNT’s broadcast team included: play-by-play announcers Brian Anderson, Alex Faust, Mark Petchey, and Patrick McEnroe are joined by analysts John McEnroe, Lindsay Davenport, Jim Courier, Chrissie Evert, Caroline Wozniacki, Sam Querrey, and Darren Cahill. Venus Williams, Mary Joe Fernandez, and Jon Wertheim contribute as well.
Best: Andre Agassi’s debut was sensational. He might be the best to ever analyze tennis… totally spontaneous, perceptive, truthful, witty, hilarious, he sounds like some kind of tennis genius grand wizard. Agassi’s reunion interview with his old rival and friend Andrei Medvedev was for me the highlight moment of the whole tournament, even more so than the men’s final and that’s saying a lot. Tennis establishment, please make sure to keep Andre Agassi involved on a regular basis because he has natural ability to make any match and tournament more interesting.
Worst: It’s hard to say a worst because the overall presentation by TNT was very very good, fun, creative, different. The unique mix of talents and former players was a successful combination. If there was one disappointment, perhaps it was the Djokovic vs Sinner broadcast by the McEnroes. For such a historically important clash of titans, I thought they both mailed in the effort. They didn’t say anything memorable or interesting through the three sets, just the basic mundane comments, commentary for the blind. I was wishing Agassi and Courier would replace them. Also the main host Lefkoe had some nice moments but also seemed unprofessional and overexcited like the time he was loudly encouraging the crowd to start a chant during a set interview, of course the bewildered crowd did not respond to that lunacy. A veteran straight man like Leif Shiras or Cliff Drysdale are more equipped and experienced to handle host duties at a Grand Slam.
Roland Garros is now finished with broadcasting partners NBC/Peacock and the Tennis Channel — which has a sublicensing deal with NBC. For the next nine years, the spring time tournament will be televised by TNT, TBS and truTV as part of a 10-year, $650 million deal with Warner Brothers.
Tennis Channel has broadcast Roland Garros for 18 years since it’s inception.
TNT Sports studio programming included host Adam Lefkoe and analysts Andre Agassi, Coco Vandeweghe, Sloane Stephens, Chris Eubanks, and John McEnroe. TNT Sports broadcast Roland Garros in the UK, Eurosport broadcast Roland Garros to the rest of mainland Europe, except France. European viewers heard from on-air talent hosts: Rachel Stringer, Craig Doyle, and Laura Robson and analysts Nick Mullins, Naomi Cavaday, Anne Keothavong, and Miles Maclagan… Mats Wilander, Alex Corretja, Tim Henman, and Boris Becker called matches.
Roland Garros art by Joel Blanc.
Steve · June 11, 2025 at 7:11 am
Yeah, it’s good.
The absolute best play by play person in tennis can be found on ATP Radio by Gigi Salmon. I don’t know how she can talk as fast as a struck tennis ball but she does and with amazing descriptive clarity. You feel like you’re watching the match. It’s a different and more challenging skill than color commentary. She’s been my go-to for many years when cable providers fake you out of a feed.
I actually watched the French Open final on three different platforms. ATP Radio first set & 1/2, then watched it on a fellow player’s phone in park and the last two sets at a sports bar. 🙂
Scoop Malinowski · June 11, 2025 at 9:09 am
Steve, How did you feel about McEnroe’s work for final? Does Salmon ever do TV or is she limited to just radio?
Steve · June 11, 2025 at 10:30 am
I believe she does some TV work for Sky.
The McEnroe brothers are really bad together. Patrick is a ghost-like echo chamber, a non-entity. Mac was good years ago but now phones it in with clichès. He’s probably too stubborn to take any feedback or is surrounded by yes-men or both. Also, he panders to the top guys of every era. Sampras spoke of this in his first book. If your ranking drops far enough he walks right by you in the locker room. And too much nepotism. I’d prefer his enemies rather than friends and family be invited in. Bring in Connors & Lendl!!! 🙂
Scoop Malinowski · June 11, 2025 at 11:33 am
Yes you make good points. They seem afraid to say anything remotely controversial which would put them in hot water. Just play it safe and call it in basic terms. Or they are burnt out from a lifetime of watching tennis and bored with the modern era game which lacks originality, creativity and uniqueness of character. John is getting more involved with music also suggests boredom with tennis. Maybe they both need a break of a year or two to recharge batteries.