With the Australian Open set to begin on January 12, ESPN is under pressure to fire John and Patrick McEnroe.
Four-time US Open champion John McEnroe has worked for ESPN since 2009. The former world No. 1 has called countless matches over the past 15 years, providing first-hand analysis of nearly every top player. His brother Patrick, meanwhile, served as a play-by-play commentator and studio analyst for Worldwide Leader In Sports.
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With the Australian Open main draw set to begin on January 18, ESPN has revealed its on-air commentary line-up for Melbourne. Fans noticed that longtime broadcasters Brad Gilbert and Pam Shriver were not part of this group.
Gilbert and Shriver confirmed that they would not represent ESPN at the 2026 Australian Open. This led to tennis fans are asking what’s next for the McEnroe brothers.
Although fans want them removed from ESPN, the McEnroe brothers are expected to cover the Australian Open.
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“Good start. They were insufferable,” one fan said in response to this news. “Now get rid of the McEnros.”
“While neither is a favorite, the McEnros are the ones that make me speechless more than anyone on ESPN’s coverage,” a second fan wrote.
“Chris Evert and the McEnroes need to go,” another fan commented. “John doesn’t know where he is half the time. Patrick is right there and sometimes he can be mean.”
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Who else will cover the Australian Open?
ESPN revealed that Chris Evert, Mary Joe Fernandez, Chris Fowler, Jason Goodall, Chris McKendry, CoCo Vandeweghe and several others will cover the first Grand Slam tournament of the season.
“We are excited about our talent pool for the 2026 Australian Open,” said Linda Schulz., vice president of production at ESPN. “The goal was to combine strong storytelling with trusted voices. We are especially excited to welcome longtime tennis fan and accomplished broadcaster Malika Andrews. With the addition of Andrews and Eubanks and the return of Wozniacki, our coverage will provide a broad perspective on the sport of tennis.»
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Let’s hope the 2026 tennis season gets off to a great start.
This story was originally published by The yarn on January 7, 2026, where he first appeared in the Tennis section. Add The Spun as Favorite source by clicking here.
