Nick Kyrgios jokes about John McEnroe's earnings for Wimbledon commentary, reveals what he would charge for the stint
Nick Kyrgios playfully poked fun at John McEnroe's whopping paycheque for his BBC commentary stint at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships. The Australian also disclosed his own asking price for the same gig.
According to the BBC's annual report on its employee salaries, McEnroe earned between £205,000 and £209,000 for his two weeks of providing commentary at SW19 this year. As per the Mirror, the American is also the highest-paid BBC employee on a pro rata basis.
Due to the respect commanded by the seven-time Grand Slam champion and the "unique perspective" he adds to their coverage, the BBC is reportedly happy to pay the seemingly high price for the 64-year-old's services.
“He is one of the most popular and respected pundits in tennis, and he provides a unique perspective to our coverage,” an insider said, as quoted by the Sunday Times.
Upon coming across a report of McEnroe's earnings, Kyrgios joked about the American's significant payout on social media.
"At least the players get paid what they are supposed to. LOL," Nick Kyrgios tweeted with laughing emojis.
@TheTennisTalker At least the players get paid what they are supposed to 😂😂😂😂😂😂 LOL
When asked his own fee for two weeks of work at Wimbledon, Kyrgios, who earned £1,050,000 in prize money as last year's runner-up, stated that he would expect "a bit more" than he received for making the final.
"Lol after making a final, a bit more than what I got paid," he replied.
@TheTennisTalker Lol after making a final, a bit more then what I got paid
Nick Kyrgios to represent John McEnroe’s Team World at Laver Cup 2023
"The Wild Thing" is all set to make his fifth Laver Cup appearance in the 2023 edition of the event, which is scheduled to be played in Vancouver from September 22-24. The Australian has appeared in every edition of the tournament since its inception in 2017, only missing last year's event.
The Australian will represent captain John McEnroe's Team World alongside Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe and Felix Auger-Aliassime, among others. Meanwhile, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev and Holger Rune are confirmed to play under Bjorn Borg's leadership for Team Europe.
In other news, defending champion Nick Kyrgios was forced to pull out of the 2023 Citi Open due to injury. The 28-year-old took to social media and expressed his disappointment at the withdrawal, sharing that he had been hoping to win the ATP 500 event for a third time.
"Washington, gone be tough to miss you this year. Was gonna go for 3 time champ. Always amazing memories x if you are there you will be able to see my name up in the stadium court," he said.