Laura Robson is in talks with TNT Sports about a surprise role fronting their dwell protection of the Ashes from Australia this winter.
The junior Wimbledon champion and blended doubles Olympic silver medallist has made a profitable transition to broadcasting since her untimely retirement from tennis three years in the past, working as a pundit for each TNT and Sky Sports, however England’s tour to Australia could be her first main TV job outdoors tennis.
TNT are understood to have supplied Robson an on-the-ground reporting role all through the five-match sequence, with their principal commentary and punditry being supplied off-site in Europe. The 31-year-old was born in Melbourne to Australian mother and father earlier than transferring to England on the age of six.
Robson has mixed tennis punditry with senior roles in administration since retiring due to the wrist and hip injuries that troubled her all through her profession. After two years because the event director of the WTA 250 occasion at Nottingham she was appointed to the identical place on the Queen’s Club this yr, taking cost of the primary ladies’s event on the London venue in over 50 years.
TNT are anticipated to make use of a mix of Robson’s color and reportage from Australia, the native commentary feed and their very own pundits in the studio for his or her protection of the sequence, the third Ashes tour in succession they or predecessors BT Sport have coated dwell.
Robson was used as a courtside reporter by Sky at this month’s US Open, and was dwell on air earlier than final Sunday’s closing when Donald Trump’s arrival in Arthur Ashe Stadium led to boos from the gang.
Alastair Cook, the previous England captain, is being lined as much as present skilled punditry from the studio as he isn’t as a result of journey to Australia with the BBC’s Test Match Special, with TNT common Kate Mason anticipated to current. While contracts have but to be signed the negotiations are understood to be progressing nicely. TNT declined to remark.
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After agreeing a one-year deal with Cricket Australia TNT has the rights for all of England’s winter excursions, because the broadcaster had offers in place to cowl each white-ball sequence in New Zealand and Sri Lanka both facet of the Ashes.