Andrew Castle admits he is ‘upset’ over departure from BBC Wimbledon team

Veteran commentator Andrew Castle said he was “upset” to learn that this would be his last broadcasting Wimbledon for the BBC.

Castle will be part of the broadcasting and commentary team for this year’s tournament, which begins on Monday, but announced he would step down entirely after this Championships rather than take a different role.

The BBC, which has recently renewed its free-to-air broadcast agreement with Wimbledon until 2033, is revamping its coverage of the tournament once again.

Castle told The Telegraph: “Am I upset? Yeah, I was upset, and I will stay that way this year, knowing it’s my last. But all good things come to an end.”

Castle said he would have preferred for his final Championships to be the 2027 edition, which will be the 150th year of Wimbledon. “It would have been my 25th year. But who’s bleating?”

He said he was told in person that he would not be lead commentator for the men’s final next year. He said: “I was told in person, in a very respectful way, and I was very grateful for that – because knowing what I know about TV, you can be walking down the street one moment and the next you’ve been nobbled.”

Ex-pro Castle, who was British No 1 in 1986, will commentate on his 23rd final in 24 years as part of the BBC team this summer. He had previously told The Telegraph: “They want me to stay on the team but I will depart with gratitude.”

Castle grew up in Taunton and won a tennis scholarship to nearby Millfield School, before moving to Florida and then to Wichita State University in Kansas.

He reached the third round of the US Open in 1987, his best result at a major in singles, and reached the mixed doubles final at the Australian Open in the same year.

After retiring as a player he moved into broadcasting, presenting on Sky and ITV’s breakfast programme GMTV, before joining the BBC’s Wimbledon coverage.

The BBC’s coverage has undergone several changes in the past few years, most notably the departure of veteran presenter Sue Barker in 2022. Barker said of Castle: “As a presenter, I always loved having Andrew in the studio, because he offered something a bit different. I’m sad that this news has come as a bit of a shock to him, but it feels that way for all of us, because we love what we do so much.”