Tim Henman breaks silence after Wimbledon's demand to BBC as he praises 'great addition'
Wimbledon are reportedly demanding that the BBC make changes.
Tim Henman has claimed the BBC can improve its Wimbledon coverage by bringing in Andy Roddick as a pundit or commentator this year. The BBC’s coverage of the iconic Grand Slam, which began almost a century ago, is seen as somewhat outdated in tennis circles.
The innovations brought by TNT Sports’ coverage of the French Open and Sky Sports’ tennis channel have put pressure on the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club's directors to revamp the tournament's outdated coverage. The Times reported in January that there’s a strong feeling among Wimbledon bosses that the BBC’s coverage has become too formulaic and that innovation is needed, with changes being demanded.
A way of freshening things up could be to bring in courtside analysis during matches and an option to flick through the action on TV across different courts. Another method is to mix up its punditry and commentary team, which Henman seemingly agrees with.
The tennis icon, who has worked as a BBC commentator at Wimbledon since 2008, was asked on Off Court With Greg Rusedski whether he has heard anything about the corporation making changes for this year’s coverage. He insisted he hadn’t but praised Roddick, suggesting he would like the BBC to bring him onto their panel or commentary box.
Henman said: "No, I haven’t in all honesty. I saw that Andy Roddick has just signed up with ESPN, so he’s going to be on-site, which is going to be a great addition. I’ve listened to some of his podcast stuff, and he’s always been an articulate and amusing guy. Could the BBC get a bit of Roddick time?
"I would certainly hope so. In terms of what’s going on this year at Wimbledon, I’m none the wiser. But the BBC have been at Wimbledon for a long time and you’ve got to keep elevating in all areas so hopefully they’re going to be able to do that."
Tennis Hall of Famer Roddick, in February, was confirmed to be joining ESPN for its coverage of Wimbledon and the US Open in a multi-year deal. The 2003 US Open champion, who retired in 2012, will work as a match commentator and pundit at the All England Club in late June.
Pundits often appear on multiple broadcasters during the same Grand Slam. Roddick's ESPN deal not being exclusive means he could appear in a guest spot for the BBC at SW19, just as John McEnroe has worked for both broadcasters.
