Global tennis icon Chris Evert joins Eurosport’s 2015 French Open commentary team

Evert, a former world number one and 18-time Grand Slam winner, will feature across Eurosport’s coverage of the tournament, which runs from 24 May to 7 June. The schedule will provide European fans with exclusive in-depth coverage, live from Roland Garros in Paris.

During the tournament Evert will headline in a brand new show ‘Tennis For Evert’, which will air exclusively on the channel and will be hosted by Barbara Schett, former world number seven and long-standing Eurosport pundit.

Broadcasting from the heart of the action in Eurosport’s on-site Roland Garros studio, Evert - herself a record seven-time French Open winner - will provide viewers with her unmatched expertise and insight into the mind-set and game plans of the tournament’s competitors.

“As one of the most respected sports channels in the world, Eurosport is famous for its exciting and innovative coverage of tennis Grand Slams,” said Evert.

“Roland Garros holds a special place in my heart – it’s where I won my first and my final 18th Grand Slam title. I am therefore honoured to be a part of the Eurosport team, and share with viewers my insights to understand the game, the champions and the rising stars.”

As the tournament reaches the Women’s Final on 6 June, Evert will cover the match live for British Eurosport. She will also join triple French Open winner Mats Wilander, another of Eurosport’s world-class stars, in his show ‘Game, Set and Mats’ to provide pre and post-match analysis of the Women’s Final for viewers across Europe.

“We are delighted that Chris will be joining Eurosport during this year's French Open. To have one of the true legends of the game as part of our group of experts is a great opportunity for us and a sign of our investment in the quality of our production moving forward,” said Peter Hutton, Chief Executive Officer, Eurosport.

“We’re proud of the comprehensive coverage we deliver to fans - now greater than ever thanks to our increased live coverage from the Roland Garros courts via Eurosport Player, which gives fans an extended access-all-areas pass to the tournament on their PC, mobile phone or tablet.”

Over the duration of the tournament Eurosport and Eurosport 2 will broadcast 400 hours of programming, with exclusive coverage in key markets including Spain, Italy, Poland, Russia, Romania, Scandinavia and Turkey.

Last year Eurosport delivered record ratings for the 2014 French Open, capturing its highest average live audience in 25 years of broadcasting from Roland Garros. Maria Sharapova’s victory over Simona Halep became the most-watched women’s tennis match in Eurosport history with an average live audience of 3.8 million European viewers, while Eurosport attracted 60.7 million European viewers throughout the tournament.

The best tennis is served up on Eurosport every year with the extensive live broadcast of the Australian, French and US Opens every year. This coverage is enhanced by a selection of ATP and WTA tournaments delivering fans a total of 2,300 hours of tennis coverage on Eurosport and Eurosport 2.