On Saturday and Sunday, Tennis Channel will have live primetime coverage of the U.S. Open as ESPN2 will have NASCAR and MLB commitments on both nights. So to give its coverage an upgrade, Tennis Channel has signed John McEnroe to join Ted Robinson for the weekend. And it gives the U.S. Open a USA Network feel for a couple of days. Of course, Ted and John have worked together not only on USA Network for the U.S. Open, but for Tennis Channel and NBC for the French Open and NBC again for Wimbledon. So both are quite familiar with each other.
This will not effect McEnroe’s work for CBS and ESPN2 on the Open. That will continue.
We have the press release from Tennis Channel about this latest development.
HALL OF FAMER JOHN MCENROE TO JOIN TENNIS CHANNEL’S US OPEN TEAM
Multi-Grand Slam Champion to Offer Commentary from Flushing Meadows Labor Day Weekend
NEW YORK, September 2, 2011 – Tennis Channel announced today that tennis icon John McE nroe will lend his unique analysis and commentary to the network’s US Open prime-time broadcast Labor Day weekend, September 3-4.
As with previous Tennis Channel telecasts, McEnroe will be teamed with broadcasting legend Ted Robinson. The two have appeared in the network’s booth at the French Open since 2007 and have made numerous Davis Cup appearances on the channel. McEnroe continues to be a US Open analyst for CBS and ESPN2.
As one of the most recognizable and credible television analysts in tennis today, McEnroe has captivated sports fans since bringing his fiery personality to the pro tennis scene in the late 1970s. He won 77 singles and 78 doubles titles during his career, including four US Open and three Wimbledon singles championships. McEnroe won the French Open mixed doubles championship with fellow Tennis Channel analyst Mary Carillo in 1977, and reached the tournament’s singles final in 1984. He is possibly the most dominant Davis Cup player of all time, winning the championship five times as a member of the U.S. team and remains the all-time record holder in U.S. Davis Cup total wins (59 wins vs. 10 losses), singles wins (41-8), ties or rounds played (30), and years played (12). McEnroe was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1999.
More later.
