John McEnroe faces mounting pressure to step down from his BBC Wimbledon commentary role despite earning between £195,000 and £199,000 annually for his fortnight's work at the Championships.
The 66-year-old American tennis legend, who won three Wimbledon titles during the 1980s, has drawn criticism from viewers for mispronouncing players' names and appearing unprepared during broadcasts.
His controversial remarks about players, including Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva, have sparked backlash from both colleagues and audiences.
One frustrated viewer posted on social media: "I see John McEnroe is at it again. If ESPN won't retire him, can we at least compromise and keep him off broadcasts until the semifinals where he'll actually know the players?"
John McEnroe has come under fire for some of his comments at Wimbledon this year
PAHowever, McEnroe has received strong support from his BBC colleagues who have worked alongside him over the years.
Former BBC host Sue Barker praised him in her 2024 memoir, 'Wimbledon: A Personal History', writing: "Mac is the BBC's highest-paid employee pro rata, and with good reason.
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"The public love him. He was great to work with, always up for fun."
BBC commentator Andrew Castle echoed these sentiments, telling Globusbet: "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."
Critics have particularly targeted McEnroe's pronunciation of players' names, with one viewer questioning: "Why does John McEnroe have so little respect for other, 'lesser' players that he does not bother learning how to pronounce their names?"
The former world number one has also clashed with BBC Wimbledon host Clare Balding during a heated discussion about Novak Djokovic in 2024.
His controversial comments have included an inappropriate remark about "swingers" and what was described as a "cruel" comment regarding Russian teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva this year.
John McEnroe was widely praised by his BBC colleagues
GETTYMcEnroe also had a minor disagreement with BBC presenter Simon Reed following comments about British player Jack Draper.
Despite the criticism, a BBC source defended McEnroe's substantial pay packet to The Times in 2023, stating: "He is one of the most popular and respected pundits in tennis," adding: "He provides a unique perspective to our coverage."
Dave Gordon, the former executive editor for BBC Sport who previously oversaw Wimbledon coverage, said that McEnroe took the broadcaster's coverage of SW19 "kicking and screaming into the 21st century."
Clive James, writing for the BBC in 2007, described McEnroe as the "supreme male commentator" at Wimbledon and even called him a "philosopher," noting he was "so interesting" that an actual match was almost unnecessary.
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