When pro tennis players decide it’s time to step off the court, some of them cross into commentary.
Here are some of their experiences of making the move, and their tips on being a good pundit:
Former players share their tips on being a good pundit.
Boris Becker: When the final starts at two o’clock you better be ready at two o’clock. My second career on telly, when the camera rolls, when the microphone is on, when I talk about a match, I have to be sure what I’m talking about. I have to be, you know, mentally prepared for it and I think that is similar to playing tennis.
Tim Henman: Well obviously when you’re going into the broadcasting side of tennis then it helps if you’ve been involved in the game and hopefully you know what you’re talking about. A skill is, I guess it’s important to sound like you know what you’re talking about. I’ve been lucky enough to work here for the BBC for the last eleven or twelve years. Obviously we’ve got a great subject, which is the best tournament in the world. We’ve got the best players in the world and again, I don’t feel like it’s a job. I don’t feel like I’ve ever had a real job. I’ve always had a hobby and this falls into that same bracket.
Annabel Croft: I think I have applied my skills. As a tennis player I was very, very tunnel vision, very focused, very dedicated. I always was somebody that wanted to get the best out of myself. So I’ve transferred all that into broadcasting because every time I’ve worked in broadcasting, whatever area it is, if it’s making speeches or it’s hosting a show or you’re commentating on different players. I go that extra distance to try and make sure that I’m fully prepared for everything that I do and that would be exactly the same if I wanted to play a tennis match.
The pros top tips:
- Be prepared: preparation is key, as Boris Becker says. You need to be completely ready by the time the camera or microphone switches on: “When the finals starts at two o’clock you’d better be ready at two o’clock.”
- Do your best: Tracy Austin says that it’s important to not dwell too long on any mistakes you make and just do the best you can every single day: “It’s about having a tough day and still picking up your boot straps and saying OK I’m going to go out tomorrow and still go after it with 100% effort.”
- Know what you’re talking about: Tim Henman says it can help to have been involved in the sport or to have a good knowledge of it to start with, but above all else, you need “to sound like you know what you are talking about.”
This article was published in July 2019
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