Andrew Castle: I have four TV offers on the table after BBC exit

Andrew Castle previews the US Open, backing Jannik Sinner for the men’s title and Coco Gauff to challenge for a third Grand Slam.

Former tennis star Andrew Castle spoke to Betway ahead of the upcoming US Open at Flushing Meadows, backing World No. 1 Jannik Sinner to continue his dominance, who is currently favourite in the latest tennis betting markets.

Expecting American players to make their mark in the women’s singles, Castle also discussed the possibility of Serena Williams being handed a wildcard, Naomi Osaka’s chances of glory and Aryna Sabalenka’s recent dip in form.

Castle, who departed the BBC after 24 years as part of its broadcasting team, also opened up about his exit and hinted at a return to television, with four offers on the table.

Who do you see as the favourites to win the US Open on men’s and women’s singles?

I’ve picked Jannik Sinner but apparently, he has an injury on his right knee and doesn’t want to play Cincinnati at this point.

It sounds like it’s precautionary. That’s how good he is, you see. I’m sure that decision is informed by not just the injury, but it’s informed by just getting that schedule perfectly.  

I would imagine this is what it feels like to me, he now feels that he can rock up, play his way through a couple of matches, three matches, and then be ready to produce his best.

Well rested in the second week of a Grand Slam. And he’s right. That’s how good he is. So obviously, that appears to be the strategy with this one, a bit of caution. Why turn up at a place and play two, three matches, or even go away and risk making yourself worse when you know, you’re kind of cooked.

At this time of the season, it is about rest, quality practice and a good maintenance schedule. If he comes in fresh there, he’s number one, by miles, especially on hard court.

Ben Shelton is going to come along. He’s going to have a great run and maybe Frances Tiafoe will do as well. There’s going to be great matches, and it’s all on the line again. The Slams are where it’s all on the line. Nobody holds anything back. You’re committed, you’re in.

This is where it matters, and that’s becoming more and more obvious to my eye, is how people are focusing on those Grand Slams.

A lot of tennis players are surviving through the challenges and all the rest, and they come to the Slams. When you’re surviving, you can’t just say, “I want to peak at four Slams.” That’s not what it’s about, but in terms of the importance of events relatively, it is so clear that the Grand Slams are way ahead of the others, just miles.

What about the women’s singles, and can Aryna Sabalenka get back to form?

Sabalenka’s forehand is just slightly misfiring at the moment. Instead of hitting the ball six inches out, she might hit it six inches in, in a week or two. But the one thing that you definitely know is that she’s not going to stop swinging.

She’s terrifying for anybody that misses their first serve. She just crunches it. I wouldn’t put her up as a favourite now because of that form. The big story will always be Coco Gauff. If she can stay nice and consistent on her forehand side and on a hard court, she has a little bit of time, but she’s blasting it.

I was watching a match she was playing yesterday, and she is quite something. So, commercially, she’s absolutely massive in the United States. When she lost that match point in the semi-finals at Wimbledon, there was a commercial groan, but there was a delight for her opponent.

As it happens, we had a great final, a wonderful final. But Coco Gauff is a huge commercial thing. A great run from Naomi Osaka would bring masses of attention in this United States as well. Jessica Pegula, who I always think is going to make the quarter-final or semi-final and will be tough to beat.

So, you got that American sort of vibe going on. Maddie Keys too. If she starts hitting instead of missing, a bit like Sabalenka, again, she could go far. Has anybody heard anything from Serena Williams too?

Well, my phone hasn’t rung. I don’t know what her kind of thinking is ahead of the US Open, but I mean, it seemed like the big comeback was on at Wimbledon, or at least there was a suggestion.

So, who knows, maybe we’ll hear some utterances in the next week or so about whether she wants to play or not at the US Open. I don’t think there’d be any problem with a wildcard I’ll put it that way. I mean, that’s a bit of a stadium filler right there. I think the women’s game’s very open, and I think it makes it fascinating.  

How big of a commercial factor would it be if Serena and Venus Williams play at the doubles?

For some people, it would be awesome to watch; other people would be like, okay, that’s an attraction. Either way, it’s eyeballs onto screens, and that is a good thing, because we are in a period post the great era.

How do you reflect on your time at the BBC as the lead commentator at Wimbledon?

It was wonderful. You don’t realise how long 24 years is and you don’t realise how many people, how many good people, you’ve worked with and how many good times you’ve had when you’re concentrating on what you’re doing.

So, it was lovely to hear from a lot of people, and a lot of people come and go and over the years in anybody’s life, but it was gorgeous.

Obviously leaving on the last day, actually arriving on the last day as well, just going through the same process was, in a way, sad, but in another way, joyous, so very mixed feelings about it all. I thought we had a pretty good match in the final as well.

I was hoping for a really good one to go out on because I did every single one of these finals over the years, starting with Roger Federer first against Mark Philippoussis, all the way through every single one of his, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, all of them, every single one. Then of course, the first two Alcaraz-Sinner matches. Just what an honour to be a part of that.

What are you going to miss the most?

The adrenaline of it, the sheer excitement, the unknown of it, the drama of it, the sense of theatre, all of those things.

But, you know, in a way, you sort of miss being a part of it, but when you are a part of it and you’re completely submerged in the product and the people, you sometimes don’t get a chance to enjoy it, like you would in a different way from just enjoying it as a professional, if you like, but as a spectator primarily. I enjoyed it in different ways and with a different view.

What were your favourite moments?

I loved teaming up with Sue Barker after working with her at Sky. We worked together in a little glass box in Isleworth, when we were working on all the tennis. That’s where it started for me, and actually, we were at Sky when it was only two or three years old, it started in a glass box with Sue and actually, we went all over the place with Gerry Williams and Bill Threlfall as well.

Then I did other sports at Sky before going to GMTV and so the journey sort of began with Sue in a way. I think the brand newness of broadcast then was fantastic.

The BBC, the first time I saw Rafa play a match, a Grand Slam match, was on Court 12 at Wimbledon. I think it might have been 2003 against Lee Childs, who’s a friend of mine, who’s now head of tennis at Queen’s Club.

I mean, I watched Nadal play, and I remember coming back and just going, that’s totally different from anything I’ve ever seen before. And some had heard of him, some had not, but to see him play as a 17-year-old was very, very special.

And of course, so much of all of these great players that we’ve seen as an era. I mean, everyone always says, we’ll never see anything like it again, of course, then something else comes along, but let’s just say we’re not going to see anything like that for a while.

So, I’ve enjoyed, from a tennis point of view, I’ve enjoyed that and the women’s side as well, I mean, I’m thoroughly enjoying watching, in fact, more so the women’s tennis lately. I think, in the last five to ten years, I’ve enjoyed watching the women’s tennis very much. I’m not just a men’s tennis commentator; it’s been amazing to watch.

What’s next for you, Andrew?

Well, we’ve got a third grandchild on the way, we’re building a house and we’re getting it finished. We took the plunge and we’re building a house, so that’s got a few months to run. And, you know, there’s always bits and bobs of work outside of tennis, which I still do.

I’ll just continue to do those. I can promise you this, it doesn’t get any less busy for some reason. I don’t know why that is.

Would you be open to maybe returning to tennis on another broadcaster?

Well, I mean I really don’t know. It’s not a priority for me. I mean, I could come back, I’ve had two really good offers, actually, outside of tennis. Well, I have had two offers within tennis, two outside of tennis on the broadcasting side but at the moment, in August, I’m just going to take it easy.

I can’t make any decisions at the moment. I’m just trying to build this house and look after the grandchildren that we have for a little bit and be involved in family. It’s been great. As you get older, you want to do slightly less.

A couple of these job offers are in news and current affairs and it’s just like, “Oh my God”, it’s a queasy ride for anybody who’s a journalist at the moment. It’s just an extraordinary world to try to make sense of. So, there’s no rush. There is no rush. It’s a privileged position to be that there’s no rush. I know that.

I was lucky to be put in there [as commentator by the BBC] in the first place and lucky to do it for as long as I did it. And so, I mean, I leave really, very grateful.

I mean, that is the truth. Would I have liked to have carried on? Of course I would, but nobody ever knows when you’re going to get that tap on the shoulder and say, “Okay, you’ve had your time,” but, I mean, it’s been absolutely unreal.