Daily Afternoon, Evening Shows Set for Two-Week Grass-Court Major
Event Features the Singles Return of All-Time Great Serena Williams
LOS ANGELES, June 20, 2022 – The 14th year of Tennis Channel’s Wimbledon coverage will get underway on the first day of play, Monday, June 27, at 4:30 p.m. ET. Every afternoon and evening of the two-week event, the network will air a new edition of match segments and commentary during the most prestigious grass-court competition in tennis – and one of the most esteemed traditions in all of sports.
This year also showcases the return of all-time great Serena Williams, who has not competed in singles since withdrawing from her first-round match due to injury at the event in 2021. Williams has 23 major singles titles, one shy of Hall of Famer Margaret Court’s 24 championships, the most for any player.
Wimbledon takes place this year from June 27-July 10. With its iconic imagery – perfectly manicured grass courts, players dressed in white, limited advertising and members of Britain’s royal family in attendance – the oldest tournament in tennis is an annual reminder of the modern sport’s Victorian Era roots. In addition to match segments and commentary, Tennis Channel’s daily afternoon and evening shows will provide highlights, features and exclusive interviews. The initial program is typically underway at 4:30 p.m. ET, followed immediately by the night edition at 8:30 p.m. ET. The shows will run again throughout the late night and early morning until 6 a.m. ET, when classic Wimbledon matches will air until 4:30 p.m. During championship weekend, July 9-10, the network’s coverage will be devoted to the men’s and women’s singles and doubles finals, beginning at 6 p.m. ET each evening. In all, Tennis Channel will dedicate close to 200 television hours to Wimbledon this year. The complete schedule is available at: www.tennischannel.com/schedule.
The network first covered Wimbledon in 2008.
Tennis Channel analyst Martina Navratilova (@Martina) won the Wimbledon singles title nine times, more than any woman or man. This includes six in a row from 1982-1987. Her dominance at the All England Lawn Tennis Club also included seven doubles titles and four mixed-doubles crowns. She will return to London for the network in 2022, and continues her run of offering commentary at every major ever covered by the channel, going back to the French Open in 2007.
Like Navratilova, Lindsay Davenport (@LDavenport76) is a Hall of Famer who found frequent success at Wimbledon. She won the singles title in 1999, and reached the final two other times. She also won the doubles championship in 1999, one of two doubles finals for her. Fellow analyst and Hall of Famer Jim Courier also went deep at Wimbledon during his playing days, reaching the singles final in 1993.
Paul Annacone (@paul_annacone) was a singles quarterfinalist at the tournament in 1984 and a doubles semifinalist in 1986. He then went on to six Wimbledon titles as coach of two men who are synonymous with the event and tennis legend: Roger Federer and Pete Sampras, who are respectively first and second on the all-time men’s singles champions list at the club. Annacone will offer his unique perspective of the hallowed grounds for Tennis Channel again in 2022.
Award-winning announcers Ted Robinson (@tedjrobinson), Brett Haber (@BrettHaber) and Steve Weissman (@Steve_Weissman) are back in action this year, as is Jon Wertheim (@jon_wertheim). Wertheim, an author, Sports Illustrated editor and CBS’ 60 Minutes correspondent, will offer special reports, analysis and essays during the event.
Tennis Channel’s free Bally Sport Caller Match Predictor Game will be available to fans during Wimbledon for the first time this year. Anyone is able to sign up for the chance to win prizes at Tennis.com/Play. The network’s “Racquet Bracket” tournament prediction game is also set for the competition.
New digital series Best of Three, in which former World No. 5 Daniela Hantuchova plays golf with former and current tennis stars, will also appear on Tennis.com and the channel’s app. Both platforms will provide news, content and gamification information throughout the event and offer the most comprehensive access to day-by-day details in tennis.