Widely recognized as one of the most talented and opinionated network-TV sports announcers, Mary Carillo currently works for HBO Sports, NBC Sports and The Tennis Channel.
Most recently, Carillo covered the French Open in 2014 and served as late night show host and Olympic correspondent for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Carillo also served in the same role for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games and 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. London marked Carillo’s 11th Olympic assignment and her eighth with NBC.
At the 2006 Winter Games in Torino, Carillo hosted “Olympic Ice,” a daily figure skating show on USA Network. At the 2004 Athens Games, Carillo earned critical praise in her debut as a full-time Olympic host on Bravo’s coverage in addition to anchoring USA Network’s live, Grand Slam-style coverage of the tennis gold medal finals. During NBC’s coverage of the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Games, Carillo served as the reporter at Utah Olympic Park, where she covered the bobsled, luge and skeleton competitions. Her comment that men’s doubles luge is “like a bar bet gone bad” was recognized as “line of the year” in many sports television columns. In addition, Carillo’s work co- hosting the 2002 Closing Ceremony alongside Dan Hicks earned her critical acclaim.
Carillo served as a tennis analyst in both Sydney (2000) and Atlanta (1996) and as the skiing reporter for CBS’s coverage in Nagano (1998), Lillehammer (1994) and Albertville (1992). She made her NBC broadcast debut as an analyst for the 1996 Family Circle Magazine Cup tennis event.
In 2003, Carillo joined NBC as an analyst on the network’s French Open and Wimbledon coverage, teaming with analyst John McEnroe and play-by-play commentator Ted Robinson. Carillo’s candid and insightful commentary has earned her accolades throughout the industry, including the distinction of being called “the sport’s top analyst” by Sports Illustrated.
Carillo has worked as a tennis analyst for CBS since 1986. She has also been a correspondent on HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” since 1997. Carillo worked as both a host and analyst on Turner Sports’ coverage of Wimbledon from 2000-02 and on HBO’s Wimbledon coverage from 1996-99. She also spent several years at ESPN, covering major tennis tournaments. Prior to ESPN, she worked for USA Network (1980-87), PBS (1981-86) and Madison Square Garden Network (1981-88).
In 2010, Carillo became the first female recipient of the Dick Schaap Award for Outstanding Journalism. Prior to that, in May of 2006, Carillo earned a Sports Emmy® Award for Outstanding Long Feature for the inspiring story of the Hoyt Family. Carillo has also received two coveted Peabody Awards, one of television’s highest honors. One was for her work on the HBO documentary “Billie Jean King, Portrait of a Pioneer” and the other for co-writing the HBO documentary “Dare to Compete: The Struggle of Women in Sport,” with Frank DeFord. Carillo was named “Best Commentator” by Tennis Magazine (1988-91), “Best Commentator” by World Tennis Magazine (1986) and “Broadcaster of the Year” by the WTA (1981 and 1985). She has co-written two books—Tennis My Way with Martina Navratilova and Rick Elstein’s Tennis Kinetics.
Carillo played on the professional tennis tour from 1977-80. Teaming with McEnroe, whom she grew up with, Carillo won the 1977 French Open mixed doubles title. She was a doubles runner- up at the U.S. Clay Court Championships and doubles quarterfinalist at the US Open in 1977.
A native of Queens, New York, Carillo lives in Naples, Florida.
