For two decades, John McEnroe’s voice has been as much a part of Wimbledon as the strawberries and Centre Court drama. But in recent years, that familiar voice has started to grate. Mispronunciations, forgotten seedings, and throwaway remarks have become his staple. It has left some fans wondering whether the seven-time Grand Slam champion is still tuned into the sport he’s paid to comment on. However, the soundproof booth McEnroe had long held court in suddenly doesn’t feel so sealed.
Since hanging up his racket in 1992, McEnroe found a second wind behind the mic. His broadcast career, beginning with the BBC in 2004, quickly became as colorful as his infamous on-court tirades. Whether it was mispronouncing names like Alexander Zverev or offering hot takes that veered from insightful to inept, McEnroe was as polarizing as ever. And for years, the BBC paid handsomely for it. But in 2025, fans continuously commented on his commentary. “Giving John McEnroe a microphone was the worst thing Wimbledon have ever done,” one fan declared. This has led to some drastic changes.
The BBC’s annual salary disclosure for the 2024/25 period omitted McEnroe entirely from its list of top earners—an annual rundown that names every on-air figure making $239,000 or more. In the 2023/24 period, McEnroe earned between $261,000 and $267,000 for his work during Wimbledon alone. Given that his role is strictly limited to the tournament fortnight, that worked out to roughly $19,000 a day. No one on the BBC’s roster matched that daily figure, not even Gary Lineker, whose £1.35 million paycheck still tops the list for total annual compensation.
Sport Bilder des Tages September 22, 2023, VANCOUVER, BC, CANADA: Team World captain John McEnroe watches Team World s Ben Shelton and Team Europe s Arthur Fils play during the first set of a Laver Cup tennis singles match, in Vancouver, on Friday, September 22, 2023. Canada News – September 22, 2023 PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY – ZUMAc35_ 20230922_zaf_c35_247 Copyright: xDarrylxDyckx
While fans found it unfair, his co-commentator had defended the paycheck. Speaking to Globusbet, Castle said, “John is a wonderfully, funny and well-weather guy. I can tell you this, when he is into a match and is concentrating and is engaged whilst enjoying it, there is no one to match. It’s a thrill to sit there and listen to what he has to say.”
But now, McEnroe’s name is missing. When Express Sport UK reached out to the BBC, a spokesperson confirmed that his salary fell below the $239,000 threshold. The reasoning behind the cut wasn’t offered.
But this reduced paycheck doesn’t really make a dent in his earnings.
John McEnroe’s empire beyond BBC commentary
Off the BBC payroll or not, John McEnroe isn’t hurting for income. His legacy on the court still echoes: seven Grand Slam singles titles, nine men’s doubles titles, and one mixed doubles crown. All these titles have accumulated him more than $12.5 million in career prize money, a record in his era.
Apart from the BBC, the 66-year-old ‘s long been a fixture with ESPN and NBC. Reports suggest he earns an estimated £7.3 million (roughly $10 million) annually through his combined broadcasting commitments. Then there are the TV gigs.
In one of his most unexpected reinventions, McEnroe became the narrator for Netflix’s Never Have I Ever, a teen comedy written by Mindy Kaling. Kaling reportedly offered him the role after a chance meeting at a post-Oscars party. McEnroe, who narrates the inner life of Indian-American teen Devi Vishwakumar, embraced the project, and the result was strangely perfect. A man once known for yelling at umpires was now voicing the chaos inside a high schooler’s head.
Add to that a steady stream of documentary appearances, commercials, and cultural cameos, and McEnroe has built a post-tennis career unlike any other. As of July 4, 2025, his net worth stands at an estimated £73.1 million ($100 million).
Still, there’s a certain symbolism to the BBC’s apparent step back. For years, Wimbledon had embraced McEnroe not just for his legacy, but for the energy he brought to the booth. But when the audience begins to wonder whether the performer knows the act, even a legend can find himself out of tune.
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