By Alberto Amalfi | @Tennis_Now | Monday, May 20, 2024
Tennis Channel will deliver ultimate court coverage at Roland Garros this month.
TC launches its 18th year of live Roland Garros coverage starting with first ball on Sunday, May 26th at 5 a.m. Eastern time with opening-round action.
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The network announced today it "will offer close to 2,500 hours of live matches on its original television network, second channel T2 and subscription-service Tennis Channel+ from May 26-June 9. "
This includes close to 105 hours on T2, more free, live tennis from the world’s most prestigious clay-court competition than ever on U.S. television.
Tennis Channel platforms devote 15 days and close to 3,000 total hours to Paris this year.
Tennis Channel alone will offer close to 140 hours of live competition this year, becoming America’s 24-hour “Roland Garros Network” again in 2024 as it has since its first year at the event in 2007.
If you're busy during the day, no worries. Almost 200 hours of encores will air on Tennis Channel after live play concludes each day, running through the evening and late night to the start of the next morning’s matches. Most days coverage begins at 5 a.m. ET and runs into the afternoon.
From May 26-June 5, Tennis Channel will have live, daily coverage from the first round through the quarterfinals.
The mixed-doubles final and women’s singles semifinals will air live on Thursday, June 6. Friday, June 7, will see the men’s singles semifinals live, before the women’s doubles final on Sunday, June 9. Same-day men’s and women’s singles and doubles finals will air throughout championship weekend.
Tennis Channel also announced its cast of commentators and play-by-play announcers for the 2024 Roland Garros. Here's TC's announcement on staffing for the French Open.
On-Air Talent
Tennis Channel’s 2024 French Open team includes 16 former professional players – including three Hall of Famers – and award-winning sportscasters and reporters.
Analyst Martina Navratilova (@Martina) is among the greatest athletes of all time and has been with the network since its first Roland Garros in 2007. The Hall of Famer won 11 titles in Paris during an unparalleled career: two singles (1982, 1984), seven doubles (1975, 1982, 1984-1988) and two mixed doubles (1991-1992).
Analysts Jim Courier and Lindsay Davenport (@LDavenport76) are also French Open champions and Hall of Fame inductees. Courier is a back-to-back singles tournament winner (1991-1992) and Davenport a mixed-doubles victor in 1996.
Other Tennis Channel French Open team members have also found success on the sport’s greatest stages. Paul Annacone (@paul_annacone) is known for coaching legends Pete Sampras and Roger Federer to major titles, but won the Australian Open doubles crown in his own right as a player in 1985.
Announcer Chanda Rubin (@Chanda_Rubin) won the doubles title Down Under 11 years later in 1996. Fellow announcer Jimmy Arias (@ariastennis) achieved mixed-doubles glory as well, on the famed springtime clay of Paris in 1981.
Star Andrea Petkovic (@andreapetkovic) retired after the 2022 US Open and joins Tennis Channel as French Open analyst for the first time. In 2014 she reached the singles semifinals at the event.
Announcers Jan-Michael Gambill (@JanmikeGambill) and Jill Craybas (@jcray74) also delivered deep advances at the majors: Gambill reached the Wimbledon singles semifinals in 2000 while Craybas fought her way to the US Open mixed-doubles semifinal in 2008.
Announcers Leif Shiras (@leifshiras), CiCi Bellis (@cicibellis), Jason Goodall, Louise Pleming, Nicolas Pereira (@nicolaspereira) and Mark Petchey (@_markpetchey) will call matches for Tennis Channel during Roland Garros this year as well.
Prakash Amritraj (@PrakashAmritraj) completes the roster of former players on air for the network this year.
The year-round host of “Prakash Worldwide” interview segments from events around the globe will offer his perspective on the desk of Tennis Channel Live at Roland Garros.
The program is hosted by announcer Steve Weissman (@Steve_Weissman) and includes Jon Wertheim (@jon_wertheim), who will also handle feature reports and essays during the competition.
The lineup of Roland Garros announcers also features longtime Tennis Channel representatives and Emmy Award winners Ted Robinson (@tedjrobinson) and Brett Haber (@BrettHaber). Noah Eagle (@NoahEagle15) who has announced matches on the network before, joins its French Open team for the first time this spring and will call night session matches. Additionally, Gill Gross (@Gill_Gross) returns to the channel’s French Open team this year.
Photo credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty