John McEnroe laments big ‘void’ left by legend in BBC commentary booth
The show must go on at the BBC, but John McEnroe has described Sue Barker’s absence from this year’s Wimbledon coverage as a “bummer” and also likened the commentary doyenne’s retirement to that of Bjorn Borg.
Having fronted the annual tennis showpiece for 30 years, the legendary Barker hung up her microphone for good after last year’s edition. Clare Balding was confirmed as her replacement earlier in 2023, but she has big shoes to fill.
Former Wimbledon champion McEnroe, Barker’s co-commentator for many a year at the public broadcaster, feels the commentary box will be a lot emptier now that the former French Open winner is no longer around.
“No Sue? That’s going to be a bummer,” the American said. “Sue is a legend. You know, I mean she was incredible at what she did. So it’s going to be a void.
“It’s like when Borg didn’t play. For us, it was a huge thing. So especially since I’ve been doing this, the other side, the commentary side for as long as I have and doing it with her.
“She just makes it easier for everyone around her. And she’s did that for 25 years or something. So it’s a tough act to follow, shall I say? So we’ll see what happens.
“The old cliche is that all good things come to an end. She decided that this was enough, go out I guess on a high. And God bless her. Hopefully, she’ll come by and say hello.”
Tennis greats McEnroe and Borg, of course, were great rivals from the late 70s until the early 80s, but Borg stunned the sporting world in 1983 when he announced his shock retirement from the sport at the age of 26.
Although the Swede attempted comeback in 1993, it didn’t last very long. McEnroe, meanwhile, continued playing singles until his late 30s.
As for the BBC’s 2023 coverage of the grass-court Grand Slam, Balding will take over Barker’s role as leading lady and front the live TV coverage daily at The Championships, which gets underway on Monday, July 3 from the All England Club.
McEnroe, meanwhile, will be joined by fellow Wimbledon winners Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King and Pat Cash in the booth while the likes of Tim Henman, Tracy Austin, Annabel Croft, Johanna Konta, Anne Keothavong and Sania Mirza will also be part of the BBC’s broadcast line-up.
READ MORE: BBC’s full broadcast team for Wimbledon 2023 revealed as Clare Balding assumes lead role
