Andrew Castle has addressed the speculation surrounding his reportedly tense relationship with Nick Kyrgios, who previously called the veteran Wimbledon commentator a “clown.”
Although Kyrgios was a popular addition to the BBC’s commentary team last summer, he’s not expected to return for this year’s tournament at SW19.
The outspoken Australian, often referred to as tennis’s “bad boy,” stepped into a broadcasting role in 2024 after injury sidelined him from competition. But with ongoing fitness issues continuing to keep him off the court, the BBC has reportedly opted not to bring him back for its coverage, according to The Telegraph.
As a result, fans won’t see a repeat of the pre-tournament tension between Kyrgios and Castle, 61, when Wimbledon kicks off on June 30.
However, the former British No. 1 has played down the idea of any serious rift, suggesting the alleged feud was blown out of proportion.
“I didn’t have any tense encounters and nor did he,” Castle told The Express, via Globusbet. “Nick said something on Twitter about me and he got told that it’s not the way to be.”
Never one to hold back his opinions, Nick Kyrgios sparked controversy during the 2023 Wimbledon final between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), he criticized Andrew Castle for what he saw as excessive interruptions in the commentary, accusing him of talking over crucial points and not knowing when to stay silent.
“Whoever is the clown next to [Todd] Woodbridge in that commentator box needs to just not speak, spoiling the match big time,” Kyrgios posted.
Castle, who later labelled Kyrgios the “golden boy” of clickbait, admitted he felt “embarrassed” after reading the comment but didn’t dwell on it. “I said to him that he embarrassed me there and he said, ‘Oh mate.’ That was it,” Castle recalled.
“I stand by what I said about where we were in the match he commented on. Nick said something online and there’s so much attention on Wimbledon and on his Twitter feed that people make something up that isn’t there.”
The war of words between Kyrgios and Castle carried over into the next year. While sharing the BBC commentary booth, Kyrgios once again took aim at Castle, branding him “disrespectful” over his remarks during a match between Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz — a contest defined more by powerful serves than long rallies.
During that broadcast, Castle remarked: “You can’t say it’s been the most captivating tennis, to be frank.” Kyrgios responded swiftly on social media. “‘Not captivating’ – was a comment from a commentator who is doing the Zverev and Fritz match,” he wrote.
“This alone tells me that they have probably never played tennis at a high level. Two of the most elite servers we have. Quite disrespectful. C’mon be better.”
Once again, Castle opted not to take Kyrgios’ criticism to heart. Instead, he offered praise for the Australian’s work behind the mic, commending his ease on air and deep understanding of the game.
“I like working with Nick, he did a great job at last year’s final,” Castle said. “It was my 21st final and he slotted right in with Tim [Henman] and I – his delivery is really good for tennis.
“He picks things up, knows when to speak and obviously knows what he is talking about so that was great. We talked a little bit about being careful [with what he posts online] and he said, ‘Sure, it’s over.’ So that’s it.”
While Kyrgios has yet to win a Grand Slam, his best shot came at Wimbledon in 2022, where he reached the final but fell to Novak Djokovic in four sets.
The match is perhaps most famously remembered for Kyrgios’ outburst at a spectator, accusing them of having “700 drinks” and distracting him.
Since that run, injuries have plagued his career, limiting him to just two Grand Slam appearances over the past three seasons.
His return at the 2025 Australian Open was short-lived, ending in a straight-sets defeat to rising British talent Jacob Fearnley in the opening round.
