Savannah Guthrie had to drop out of traveling to Italy to cover the 2026 Winter Olympics for NBC due to the recent disappearance of her mother, Nancy Guthrie. One day after it was confirmed that she would not be part of the main NBC broadcasting team, the network announced that Mary Carillo will be replacing her in the booth.
“We are fortunate to have a deep bench of talented commentators who will step in and fill these roles. Mary is one of the most experienced Olympic commentators ever and a master storyteller,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “She and Terry [Gannon] will lead the American audience through one of the world’s greatest global moments.” Gannon was previously confirmed as a cohost for the Olympics.
Before the Opening Ceremony on Friday, February 6, scroll down to learn more about Carillo.
Who is Mary Carillo?
Carillo, who turns 69 in March, is a former professional tennis player. She played professional tennis from 1977 to 1980 before retiring due to a knee injury. At the 1977 French Open, Carillo won a mixed-doubles title with partner John McEnroe.
After retiring from tennis, Carillo began a sports broadcasting career at USA Network. She worked there until 1987 before moving over to PBS from 1981 to 1986 and MSG from 1981 to 1988. From 1988 until 1997, and then 2003 to 2010, Carillo worked at ESPN. She first did commentary for NBC during the 2003 French Open and Wimbledon.
She has also covered the Olympics since 1996, broadcasting from both Summer and Winter Games over the years, and was already slated to be covering the 2026 Games as a correspondent for NBC.
Carillo was a correspondent for Real Sports With Bryan Gumbel until the show ended in 2023, as well.
Are Mary Carillo and John McEnroe friends?
Yes, Carillo and McEnroe are friends. They became friends during their childhoods in Queens, New York, and then began playing tennis together, further cementing their close bond.
“We had been playing together as kids our whole lives,” Carillo once recalled. “We lived three blocks away from each other, so we entered [the French Open] kind of on a lark.”
Carillo found out she was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in November 2025, receiving the news from McEnroe himself.
Is Mary Carillo married?
Carillo was previously married to Bill Bowden, a tennis instructor, from 1983 to 1998. They share two children: son Anthony, born in 1987, and daughter Rachel, born in 1991.
She came out as gay in 2014.
Winter Olympics 2026 Opening Ceremony, Friday, February 6, 2/1c, NBC
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