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New York Post
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Andre Agassi snaps at commentator over celebrity questions in awkward Wimbledon moment
Andre Agassi is at Wimbledon to talk tennis, not to fawn over celebrities. The legendary former player made that abundantly clear during Friday's men's semifinal matches, growing increasingly frustrated at his BBC co-announcer, Andrew Castle, who kept bringing up the VIPs in attendance at Centre Court. Agassi is known for his insightful analysis and ability to break down the game to viewers, but Castle kept shepherding the conversation toward the stars in the Royal Box. Advertisement 4 Andre Agassi at the French Open on June 8. Juergen Hasenkopf/Shutterstock The celebrities on hand included actors Leonardo DiCaprio, Benedict Cumberbatch and Rami Malek, Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and other notable figures. One particularly awkward moment during the thrilling semifinal between Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz began when Agassi tried to make a point about the on-court play. Advertisement 'I can just make one comment here that's short of a prediction, we saw Taylor go to another level of risk with his serve, which dropped his percentage but then paid off for him…We saw him go to another level of risk with the backhand … go ahead if you want to say something,' Agassi said before Castle butted in. 'That's Elaine Paige, she's a musical theatre star, but she's also president of the Dan Maskell Tennis Trust, they support disabled tennis very much,' Castle said, to which Agassi awkwardly replied that he did not know who they were. Castle didn't seem to take the hint, joking: 'Let's test. This is Andre Agassi and this is 'Guess the royal box member.'' Advertisement 4 Rami Malek (left) and Benedict Cumberbatch were among the celebrities in the Royal Box at Wimbledon on July 11, 2025. WireImage An exasperated Agassi responded: 'Don't torture me. Let me finish my point.' Agassi continued to make his point about Fritz's serve from there, until Castle jutted in yet again: 'OK, that's great. That was Nick Clegg, our former deputy prime minster.' 4 Andre Agassi grew frustrated at BBC commentator Andrew Castle (pictured). Getty Images Advertisement That comment was enough to get Agassi to truly snap, with the six-time major champion saying, 'People watching are watching for tennis, not for this.' Similar moments between the two commentators took place throughout the broadcast, with Agassi reiterating to Castle at one point: 'Do not ask me about people that you show on television because this is my weakness.' Alcaraz will face Jannik Sinner, who made quick work of Novak Djokovic in the other semifinal, in a highly anticipated final on Sunday. 4 Andre Agassi wanted to talk about the match between Taylor Fritz (left) and Carlos Alcaraz (right), not celebrities. AP Alcaraz and Sinner had an epic French Open final on Sunday with Alcaraz fending off multiple match points to rally down two sets to claim the title at Roland Garros.
Scottish Sun
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
‘Don't ask me stuff like that' – BBC commentator Andrew Castle in row with Wimbledon legend Andre Agassi live on TV
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TENNIS commentator Andrew Castle has come under fire again after interrupting Wimbledon legend Andre Agassi to talk about the Royal Box. The broadcaster, 61, was slammed by the 1992 Wimbledon winner after he cut him off to mention Nick Clegg in the VIP seats. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Andrew Castle is a veteran tennis commentator Credit: Getty 5 Andre Agassi is working for the BBC at Wimbledon Credit: Getty American tennis icon Agassi, 55, made his BBC commentary debut today and immediately made an impression with cutting remarks towards his Brit colleague. He was forced to tell blundering Castle, who kept talking about the Royal Box: 'People watching are watching for tennis, not for this.' During Carlos Alcaraz's crunch clash with Taylor Fritz, in which Agassi spent minutes analysing both players' technique, Castle cut in to talk about the host of A-list stars in the Royal Box. He said: 'Benedict Cumberbatch and the bloke who knocked off James Bond, Rami Malek, that's no good. I'd be nervous sitting next to him.' READ MORE WIMBLEDON WIMBLEDON 2025 Djokovic TRAILING Sinner in semi-final, Alcaraz reaches third straight final A baffled Agassi replied: 'Which Bond did he knock off?' Former tennis star Castle then said: 'Daniel Craig. That was it, over.' The camera then showed more Hollywood stars, but Castle again brought up Rami Malek. He said: 'There's Rami Malek there, do you remember that?' BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK 5 Rami Malek was in the Royal Box at Wimbledon Credit: AP 5 Agassi was desperate to talk about Taylor Fritz's serve Credit: AFP Agassi, who won eight grand slams, replied: 'Don't ask me stuff like that, I don't know' – prompting an awkward chuckle. He later joked: 'Is there a way to ask your viewers if I'm talking too much?' Rami Malek enjoys a day out at Wimbledon Castle, who has already been forced to apologise for misnaming US women's football star Trinity Rodman as 'Tiffany', then started asking Agassi about Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar. As the camera panned to the all-time top run scorer, Castle asked: 'What do you know about cricket? Agassi again reminded his colleague: 'Do not ask me about people that you show on television because this is my weakness.' But Castle ploughed on and said: 'It's a lovely Royal Box there today and this was obviously a great ticket for anybody.' 5 WIMBLEDON 2025 LIVE - FOLLOW ALL THE LATEST SCORES AND UPDATES FROM A THRILLING FORTNIGHT AT SW19 Desperate to focus on the semi-final clash, the American began trying to talk about world No5 Fritz's serve. He said: 'I can just make one comment here that's short of a prediction, we saw Taylor go to another level of risk with his serve, which dropped his percentage but then paid off for him.' 'We saw him go to another level of risk with the backhand… go ahead if you want to say something.' Castle butted in: 'That's Elaine Paige, she's a musical theatre star, but she's also president of the Dan Maskell Tennis Trust, they support disabled tennis very much.' When Agassi again said he did not know the stars, Castle joked: 'Let's test. This is Andre Agassi and this is guess the Royal Box member'. It got another catty retort from Agassi who slapped down his co-commentator, adding: 'Don't torture me, let me finish my point.' But Castle said: 'That was Nick Clegg, our former deputy prime minister.' An exhausted Agassi finally snapped and declared: 'People watching are watching for tennis, not for this.'
The Irish Sun
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
‘Don't ask me stuff like that' – BBC commentator Andrew Castle in row with Wimbledon legend Andre Agassi live on TV
TENNIS commentator Andrew Castle has come under fire again after interrupting Wimbledon legend Andre Agassi to talk about the Royal Box. The broadcaster, 61, was slammed by the 1992 Wimbledon winner after he cut him off to mention Nick Clegg in the VIP seats. 5 Andrew Castle is a veteran tennis commentator Credit: Getty 5 Andre Agassi is working for the BBC at Wimbledon Credit: Getty American tennis icon Agassi, 55, made his BBC commentary debut today and immediately made an impression with cutting remarks towards his Brit colleague. He was forced to tell blundering Castle, who kept talking about the Royal Box: 'People watching are watching for tennis, not for this.' During Carlos Alcaraz's crunch clash with He said: 'Benedict Cumberbatch and the bloke who knocked off James Bond, Rami Malek, that's no good. I'd be nervous sitting next to him.' A baffled Agassi replied: 'Which Bond did he knock off?' Former tennis star Castle then said: 'Daniel Craig. That was it, over.' The camera then showed more Hollywood stars, but Castle again brought up Rami Malek. He said: 'There's Rami Malek there, do you remember that?' Most read in Sport BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK 5 Rami Malek was in the Royal Box at Wimbledon Credit: AP 5 Agassi was desperate to talk about Taylor Fritz's serve Credit: AFP Agassi, who won eight grand slams, replied: 'Don't ask me stuff like that, I don't know' – prompting an awkward chuckle. He later joked: 'Is there a way to ask your viewers if I'm talking too much?' Rami Malek enjoys a day out at Wimbledon Castle, who has already been As the camera panned to the all-time top run scorer, Castle asked: 'What do you know about cricket? Agassi again reminded his colleague: 'Do not ask me about people that you show on television because this is my weakness.' But Castle ploughed on and said: 'It's a lovely Royal Box there today and this was obviously a great ticket for anybody.' 5 WIMBLEDON 2025 LIVE - FOLLOW ALL THE LATEST SCORES AND UPDATES FROM A THRILLING FORTNIGHT AT SW19 Desperate to focus on the semi-final clash, the American began trying to talk about world No5 Fritz's serve. He said: 'I can just make one comment here that's short of a prediction, we saw Taylor go to another level of risk with his serve, which dropped his percentage but then paid off for him.' 'We saw him go to another level of risk with the backhand… go ahead if you want to say something.' Castle butted in: 'That's When Agassi again said he did not know the stars, Castle joked: 'Let's test. This is Andre Agassi and this is guess the Royal Box member'. It got another catty retort from Agassi who slapped down his co-commentator, adding: 'Don't torture me, let me finish my point.' Read more on the Irish Sun But Castle said: 'That was Nick Clegg, our former deputy prime minister.' An exhausted Agassi finally snapped and declared: 'People watching are watching for tennis, not for this.'
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
BBC Wimbledon viewers all make the same complaint during Carlos Alcaraz clash
Carlos Alcaraz took on Taylor Fritz in the first of the men's singles semi-finals at Wimbledon on Friday afternoon and those watching on BBC One all agreed on Andre Agassi's commentary Andre Agassi was a big hit on the BBC's coverage of Carlos Alcaraz vs Taylor Fritz at Wimbledon - but his commentary had the unintended effect of showing up the broadcaster's regulars. The eight-time Grand Slam champion joined the BBC to offer his thoughts on the first of the men's singles semi-finals on Friday afternoon. He shared the commentary box with the likes of Andrew Castle, John Lloyd and Tim Henman and stole the show in the eyes of many. Agassi won the title at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in 1992 and his insight was appreciated by those watching on BBC One as Alcaraz moved into the final with a four-set victory over the American. One fan wrote on X: "Twenty minutes of Andre Agassi's commentary is better than twenty years' worth of inane drivel from the likes of Castle and Lloyd. A genuine, grade-A icon of the game and a breath of fresh air in the commentary box. #Wimbledon." Another replied: "Andre is owning it! Unfortunately, being a breath of fresh air last year got Kyrgios the chop this year!" A third wrote: "Oh I agree. Castle never shuts up. Agassi with interesting commentary." Another added: "I am loving Andre Agassi's commentary! He is knowledgeable, interesting, and supremely relaxed - it's so nice to listen to. Please keep him as one of your regulars - I want him back next year!" A different post read: "Andrew Castle waffling absolute nonsense!!! How has Andre Agassi not burst out laughing at him? Andre please talk MORE!!!" Agassi has been there and done it at the highest level and was not afraid of sharing his thoughts. In one enjoyable exchange, he was furious with Fritz for trying a between-the-legs 'tweener' shot after chasing down a lob from Alcaraz. "If I was his coach I would've fined him a hundred bucks for trying a tweener there," Agassi said on commentary. Castle replied: "You don't approve?" to which the American shot back: "I don't approve. I mean it's one thing if you get there and it's your only shot but he could thrown something up into the blue sky and the hot sun and hope for something a bit better." He was clearly enjoying the experience of being on the mic. Speaking towards the end of the fourth set, Agassi said: "What's so awesome about this game - we might be a minute and a half away from this match being over with, or we could be another hour and 15 minutes away. You have to get past the finish line. "If you're Alcaraz, you feel the energy pulling you across the line and then you feel the resistance. If you're Fritz, you have the hope. It makes this battle epic."
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
Andre Agassi on commentary duties during Alcaraz vs Fritz Wimbledon semifinal: ‘Is there a way to ask your viewers if I'm talking too much?'
Andre Agassi is one of the all-time greats to have played the sport and entertained over a decorated career, but on Friday, the tennis world got to listen to him on commentary during the Wimbledon men's singles semifinal. And the former Wimbledon champion didn't disappoint with his insights and quick wit. Eight-time Major champion Agassi, who was an enigmatic player during his carerer and opened up about the rollercoaster ride of his career from a phenom to all-time great in autobiography 'Open', was unsurprsingly sharp with his analysis of the match but also sprinkled in easy humour in his conversations with former Brit star Tim Henman also in the box. While most of his insights were spot on, Agassi had a little clarification he wanted to make at the start of the second set, after Alcaraz came up with a massive service hold under pressure. 'That point is much bigger than you realise. Fritz is down in his groundies and had a chance to put pressure back at Deuce. Alcaraz gets out of the game and he knows how important that was…,' then after a quick pause, he added: 'Is there a way to ask your viewers if I'm talking to him? I'm serious, like, I don't have any experience with this!' Early on in the match, Agassi joked: 'I'm so glad I'm just watching instead of playing when I see somebody like Alcaraz.' When Alcaraz displayed his signature court coverage, moving swiftly across court, Agassi remarked: 'He is only 6ft tall, but he covers the court like an octopus.' Later in the second set, Agassi brought up Alcaraz's height again in a different perspective. The Spaniard was getting ready for a routine serve and as tennis players often do, got a few options for the right ball from the ball-kids. 'Permission to talk about something off point? Look at the size of his hands, he holds four tennis balls and juggles them, he is only 6 ft tall. Carlos Alcaraz has mitts for his hands,' Agassi quipped. One of the most remarkable observations he made during the match was when he picked up how Fritz had increased the speed of his backhand shots in the second set. 'For you guys at home that haven't picked it up, Fritz has picked up the pace of his backhand rally shot,' Agassi said. A few minutes later, BBC's lead commentator Andrew Castle confirmed. 'You said you noticed that Fritz has increased his backhand speed in this set, you don't have the stats in front of you. 73 to 76mph in this set.' After Fritz took the 2nd set, he summarised: 'He has gone up on the risk on his first serve, he has gone up on the risk on pace of his backhand. He has chosen his, sort of, poison pill; this is how he needs to play if he has to win. The question is how long can he do it?' Throughout his sharp rise to the top of the world, Alcaraz has often been described as a combination of the Big Three who dominated tennis for all those years. Agassi referred to it but added a little twist. 'It's like Alcaraz has the touch of (Roger) Federer, the court coverage of Novak (Djokovic) and the RPMs of (Rafa) Nadal. It's no wonder he is a little erratic sometimes.' And in another hilarious exchange with Henman. 'I remember the days when the longer you played in the tournament the more the middle of the court got chewed up which meant every bounce was unpredictable. I mean, I am venting right now.' Henman replied, '…and you won your title in 1992 from the back of court.' Agassi agreed. 'I only came to the net to shake hands.' And Henman wasn't done yet. 'The way you volleyed, that was probably pretty sensible.' (Quotes via official broadcast and BBC live blog)
