In a recent interview with the Betway Insider, Andrew Castle speaks about his career in media, Andy Murray and the sport’s great modern era.
On the magic of Wimbledon
“It’s just unbelievable to be back. I was sitting next to John McEnroe on the first day and he was just delighted, too. Even off-mic, he was saying how wonderful it is. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what makes Wimbledon so special. I could say that the tennis and the atmosphere is what brings it to life, but it still gets you even when it’s dormant and sleeping. I have goosebumps when I arrive and nobody’s around. It’s just one of the great privileges to call it my place of work.”
On the 2013 Wimbledon final
“Murray had three championship points at 40-0 up in the final game, lost them all, and was back at 40-40. The director pushed into Murray’s eyes and what you could see was a man trying with all of his heart and soul, feeling every emotion going. It was a beautiful shot. All I had to do was give a little line and back off. Throughout that game I kind of knew it was my job to lead viewers through the emotional turmoil. Something like 72 per cent of UK televisions were watching, so that was quite a responsibility. Hopefully we did it justice. He said after his first match that he can’t understand why people keep asking him if this might be the end which is just perfect, really, because there’s no feeling like winning. He’s still doing it, he can still compete. Why would you stop? He’s still thrilled that he’s out there, as am I.”
On the gold standard of tennis
“[The 2008 final] changed the game. The gold standard of tennis improved in one match. They pushed each other to mad limits. I remember it was Tim Henman’s first Wimbledon final as a commentator. We both sat there in the commentary box in shock and awe. Of course, since then there have been more, mainly featuring Djokovic. He has just quietly won five Wimbledons – I remember the 2018 semi-final against Nadal, particularly. Another mind-boggling match. Nadal with his determination and muscularity is genius, but I have to say I think I’ve seen the best tennis come from Novak’s racquet. He came to the party slightly after the other two, but I think he might have been the most remarkable.”
