Nine today announced an all-star lineup of commentators and hosts who will lead the inaugural year of its landmark six-year broadcast deal with Tennis Australia.
When the Australian Open begins on January 14, Nine will be the new home of tennis, with the tournament’s best matches and biggest moments broadcast across the network’s suite of channels and 9Now, to ensure Australians get the best tennis experience available, anytime, anywhere and on a device of their own choosing.
Spearheading Nine’s supercharged commentary will be Grand Slam legend and superstar, John McEnroe. One of the most in-demand broadcasters in the world, viewers can expect the International Tennis Hall of Famer to be at his outspoken best. One of the all-time greats, McEnroe won seven Grand Slam tournaments (four US Opens, three Wimbledons) among his 77 singles titles, as well as 72 doubles titles. He was ranked No. 1 in the world in both categories.
Joining him with expert analysis and unparalleled insight into the game will be the highly experienced broadcaster, Jim Courier. Ranked No. 1 in the world in 1992-93, Courier is one of the sport’s most popular characters. In his 12-year playing career, Courier won two French Opens and two Australian Opens.
A roll-call of homegrown heroes will also usher in an exciting and dynamic new era in sports broadcasting.
Versatile commentator Todd Woodbridge will join Nine’s fresh new lineup. One of the most successful and dominant doubles players in history, Woodbridge racked up 16 major men’s doubles titles, including nine Wimbledons, three US Opens, three Australian Opens and one French Open.
Alicia Molik, the current Australian Fed Cup captain, will provide unrivalled access and insight into the best female players. Molik broke into the world Top 10 in 2005, and won the doubles title at the 2005 Australian Open and the French Open in 2007.
Also joining the new-look team are Jelena Dokic, Sam Groth and Dylan Alcott.
At the age of 16, Jelena Dokic caused one of the biggest upsets in tennis history by beating world No. 1 Martina Hingis at Wimbledon. By the time she was 19, Dokic was ranked No. 4 in the world. She has also penned the best-selling autobiography Unbreakable, a book which details her career and well- documented family life.
Sam Groth won the 2015 Newcombe Medal, awarded to Australia’s most outstanding tennis player for the year, and holds the world record for the fastest serve recorded in a tournament – a bullet-like 263.4 km/h.
