ANDREW CASTLE will stand down as the BBC’s lead tennis commentator after the conclusion of Wimbledon next month.
The former British player has been the voice of the sport for more than two decades and was at the mic when Andy Murray famously won two singles Championships on Centre Court.
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Tennis commentator Andrew Castle will leave the BBC this summer Credit: Getty
He will be cut from coverage after Wimbledon Credit: Getty
News of his departure appears in an interview with The Times’ Matthew Syed, a former table tennis player, on Tuesday.
And the article seems to suggest that Alex Kay-Jelski – a former newspaper executive who became head of sport at the Beeb two years ago – has decided to take the coverage in a new direction.
Castle, 62, said: “To be honest, when I got the job 23 years ago, a lot of the more experienced commentators felt that they should have been first in line.
“Their noses were put out of joint. So, in the wider scheme of things, I am lucky that I had the best gig in sports broadcasting for so long, during the greatest age of men’s tennis.
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“My wife Sophia and I are building a house and we’re about to have a third grandchild, so things are good.
“I am not sure what will come next professionally, but whatever it is, I’ll embrace it.”
Castle, who is working at the Queen’s ATP tournament this week, has fulfilled a number of roles in the media – sports commentator, quiz-show host, breakfast anchor, DJ, and radio presenter.
Many viewers would have seen him on the GMTV sofa or listened to his voice on LBC or Smooth Radio.
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He was a familiar face and voice for viewers Credit: Getty
His voice and commentary will be forever linked to the sport and the likes of Jonathan Overend, Nick Mullins, Nick Lester and Marcus Buckland would be in line to replace Castle.
His exit comes a few years after Sue Barker stepped down as the main anchor and was replaced by safe-pair-of-hands Clare Balding.
Castle said: “It’s been a hell of a journey.
“I can’t say I have enjoyed every minute because there have been moments of pressure and controversy, but it has been a huge privilege.
“Luck is a big factor in life and I’ve had my fair share. But you’ve got to make your own luck in the world.
“And that means putting yourself out there, getting rejected and picking yourself up.”
Not surprisingly, Castle says calling the 2013 Wimbledon men’s final, when Andy Murray beat Novak Djokovic to end a 77-year wait for a homegrown male singles champion, was his highlight.
Surrey-born Castle said: “That last game was something. Murray had three match points, which [Novak] Djokovic saved.
“The tension was unbearable. The director asked for a push into Andy’s eyes, a lingering shot as he was grimacing after a gruelling rally.
“I think it was deuce. He was two points away from the thing he’d always dreamt of. A line came to me: ‘Sporting immortality doesn’t come easily.’”
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