Former world number one in both singles and doubles on the ATP Tour at the same time, John McEnroe, might be the highest-paid tennis commentator of all time.
The BBC released its annual payroll for the 2022-2023 period of highest-paid stars in various sports, a list topped by former footballer Gary Lineker for the sixth year in a row. Lineker is the only pundit who earned over £1 million in the latest figures.
But John McEnroe's two weeks of work pay covering the Wimbledon Championships has been a hot topic in UK tabloids. McEnroe took home a salary in the range of £205,000 - £209,999, which represents an estimated 10% increment from the previous year. Clare Balding, who led the TV coverage as Sue Barker's replacement, earned between £178,000 - £184,999.
McEnroe remains the most colorful of former players calling matches from the booth, becoming the yardstick for retired pros venturing into commentating. McEnroe's voice can be heard on the BBC during the Championships, and the giant British broadcaster has leaped into McEnroe's defense on the amount he earned.
"He is one of the most popular and respected pundits in tennis, and he provides a unique perspective to our coverage."
Perhaps what staggered many people was that McEnroe was not on set during the Wimbledon men's final between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic on BBC, which usually provides its commentary in the UK and to the world feed in many countries. Instead, he was part of ESPN's commentary team for the men's final for the US audience.
McEnroe was on double duty honoring media work for both the BBC and ESPN at the Championships. The BBC has also clarified that the American appeared on their feed every day during the tournament, as both a commentator and studio guest and commentated during the women's final between Marketa Vondrousova and Ons Jabeur.
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