ESPN Boots 2 Tennis Legends From Australian Open Coverage

The 2026 Australian Open is just weeks away, and one of the biggest broadcasters of the Grand Slam has shaken up its coverage team. Two fan favorites are out, with new voices filling in the roles.

Yesterday, ESPN announced its on-air commentator lineup for the 2026 Australian Open. Katie George will serve as host during the first week of the tournament, with Malika Andrews as host for the second, including the championship weekend.

New Team Announced

after not being included in ESPN's AO '26 commentator lineup it appears Pam Shriver and Brad Gilbert will no longer be working with the broadcast company based on recent tweets. pic.twitter.com/JK44Zushji
— Christian's Court (@christianscourt) January 7, 2026

Calling the matches across ESPN networks will be play-by-play commentators, including Chris Fowler, Chris McKendry, Patrick McEnroe, Jason Goodall, and Mike Monaco. Additionally, Kris Budden will report from Melbourne Park.

Match and studio analysis will include John McEnroe, Chris Evert, Caroline Wozniacki, Mary Joe Fernandez, James Blake, Sam Querrey, Chris Eubanks, and CoCo Vandeweghe. Two notable exemptions are Pam Shriver and Brad Gilbert, who confirmed the news on social media.

Pam Shriver and Brad Gilbert Out

Thanks for the 35+ amazing years. I recall AO 1990, after an early round loss, working for ESPN for the first time. I was prepared for more, but was told it was time to streamline. Meanwhile my thoughts are with Eaton & Palisades Fire victims on a tough 1 year anniversary.
— Pam Shriver (@PHShriver) January 7, 2026

Shriver wrote on X, "Thanks for the 35+ amazing years. I recall AO 1990, after an early round loss, working for ESPN for the first time. I was prepared for more, but was told it was time to streamline. Meanwhile, my thoughts are with Eaton & Palisades Fire victims on a tough 1-year anniversary."

Gilbert simply wrote, "Had a great [thumbs up emoji] 23 year run [running emoji]." According to the ESPN press release, "ESPN's Australian Open coverage will feature live match action, studio programming, and in-depth analysis across platforms, with every match streaming on the ESPN App via ESPN DTC or Pay TV authentication."

Australian Open Information

Had a great 👍 23 year run 🏃‍♀️
— Brad Gilbert (@bgtennisnation) January 6, 2026

ESPN Deportes commentators Luis Alfredo Alvarez, Jose Luis Clerc, Eduardo Varela, and Daniel Orsanic will call matches in Spanish, with Agostina Larroca reporting.

Qualifiers for the Australian Open run from January 12-15, with the draw ceremony taking place on Thursday, January 15. The main draw kicks off on Sunday, January 18. The action concludes for the women on Saturday, January 31, and the men on Sunday, February 1.

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