BBC viewers switch off as John McEnroe told to 'shut up' at Wimbledon

BBC viewers switch off as John McEnroe told to 'shut up' at Wimbledon Former Wimbledon champion John McEnroe remains as divisive in the commentary box as he was on the court Tennis fans tuning into BBC coverage of Wimbledon this year have been left irritated by John McEnroe. The former men's singles champion is amongst the retired professionals providing commentary for the 2026 Championships and was on microphone duties for the quarter-final clash between Jannik Sinner and Jan-Lennard Struff on Tuesday. However, supporters didn't respond well to the American drifting off into discussions about various unrelated subjects. "@Wimbledon Mcenroe on again I've switched it off," was the frank assessment from one viewer, while another questioned: "God does McEnroe ever stop talking about irrelevant nonsense?" JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! All the best sports news and much more on our dedicated Facebook page He wasn't the only member of the broadcasting panel who tested some people's patience. "@Wimbledon can you shut John McEnroe & Tracy Austin up please? Their voices are spoiling your coverage," posted a third. A fourth didn't mince words, stating "McEnroe really p***ing me off with his commentary." McEnroe has commitments with American broadcasters alongside the BBC, as has frequently been the case at Wimbledon. On Monday, this meant he was compelled to exit the commentary box during Arthur Fery's victory over Grigor Dimitrov in order to cover Taylor Fritz vs Alexander Bublik for his other employers. After commentator Andrew Cotter joked that the 67-year-old had departed "never to return", he said: "Well, hopefully I'll return but I've got contractual obligations to do the lone American in the draw, Taylor Fritz. "He's maybe the slight favourite to get to the final on this half. I'm sure Bublik, Zverev and others may have a say about that. You guys call a great rest of the match." The criticism directed at McEnroe emerged during the opening set of the match on Court 1. Top seed Sinner has progressed all the way to the quarter-finals without coming up against a single seeded opponent and defeated world No. 74 Struff in straight sets on Tuesday afternoon to book a spot in the semi-finals. "I don't know. There is not a rule. I think most important is to stay with a good mentality and right attitude on court," Sinner said when quizzed about his greatest tests in the closing stages of the Championships. "Of course, the stages are getting bigger, more important, as we know. There is more attention on every detail. We try to prepare each match as the most important, then we see. I'm trying to control whatever we can control, then the rest trying to solve the problem." Wimbledon 2026 is just around the corner and Seat Unique has tickets on sale now with VIP access.