Mary Carillo is a former professional tennis player who serves as a sports broadcaster for N.B.C. Sports and N.B.C. Olympics. Her highest ranking in Women’s Singles was 33 during her Career. Carillo is the winner of the 1977 French Open with John McEnroe.
Besides that, she was a runner-up at the U.S. Open Clay Courts with partner Wendy Overton.
Mary had to retire after only three years of professional tennis due to knee injuries.
Moreover, the Women’s Tennis Association awarded her the Broadcaster of the Year award twice in 1981 and 1985.
Similarly, Mary is the recipient of the 2010 Dick Schaap Award for Outstanding Journalism and was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2018.
Aside from that, she was inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.
On top of that, the reporter has won television’s highest honor, Peabody Award, twice.
Before getting into details about the successful sportscaster’s life and Career, here are some quick facts about her.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Mary Carillo |
| Birth Date | March 15, 1957 |
| Birth Place | Queens, New York, U.S. |
| Nick Name | Not Available |
| Religion | Christian |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Education | Not Available |
| Horoscope | Pisces |
| Father’s Name | Anthony Carillo |
| Mother’s Name | Terry Sullivan Carillo |
| Siblings | Two: Charlie and Gina Carillo |
| Age | 67 years old |
| Height | 6 feet (183 cm) |
| Weight | 143 lbs (65 kg) |
| Hair Color | Dark Brown |
| Eye Color | Brown |
| Build | Athletic |
| Profession | Former Tennis Player, Sportscaster |
| Current Network | N.B.C. |
| Highest Ranking | #33 |
| Active Years | 1977-1980 (Playing Career) |
| Marital Status | Divorced |
| Ex-Spouse | Bill Bowden |
| Kids | Two: Rachel Bowden and Anthony Bowden |
| Net Worth | $10 million |
| Social Media | N/A |
| Merchandise | Vintage Photos |
| Plays | Left-handed |
| Last Updated | December, 2024 |
Mary Carillo | Early Life, Family, And Education
Mary Carillo was born in Queens, New York, United States. She is the daughter of Anthony and Terry Sullivan Carillo.
Her father was an art director who worked for an ad agency. Mary said in an interview that he was a “terrific” artist.
Anthony used to make 30-second-long commercials while his children watched him do so. Moreover, the sportscaster used to help her father by drawing panels.
Furthermore, she added that watching her father tell stories through a 30-second clip inspired her to be a storyteller.
Also, the former athlete credits her storytelling family for her interest in journalism and documentaries.
Besides that, she grew up in a very supportive and loving family. The reporter’s parents encouraged creativity and sports a lot.
Hence, she started learning and practicing tennis at a very young age.
The French Open winner also loved writing and later pursued it as a career.
Aside from that, the author grew up with two siblings, namely Charlie and Gina Carillo. Mary is very close to both of her siblings.
Her brother, Charlie, is also an author and has written a novel. Similarly, her sister, Gina, is an actress.
Information regarding Carillo’s educational background is not known to the public as of yet.
However, some sources claim that she finished high school at a local school in her hometown.
Mary Carillo | Age, Height, And Weight
The tennis player was born on March 15, 1957. Hence, she is 67 years old as of 2024.
Being a former athlete, she takes great care of her health and diet.
As a result, she is quite fit despite being in her 60s. Furthermore, Mary is 6 feet tall and weighs 143 lbs, i.e., 65 kg.
Mary Carillo | Tennis And Sportscasting Career
Playing Career
The sportscaster became a professional tennis player when she was only 20. She played her first game in 1997 on the women’s professional tennis circuit.
Furthermore, Mary won her first Grand Slam title in her debut year. She won the French Open’s double competition with her childhood friend John McEnroe.
Besides that, she used to practice with the best tennis player and former No.1 Billie Jean King. The former athlete has also played alongside Jean.
Moreover, Carillo also reached the 1977’s U.S. Open quarterfinals.
Nonetheless, South African players Linky Boshoff and Ilana Kloss defeated her and her partner.
However, in 1980, she was forced to retire due to knee injuries.
As a result, the N.B.C. reporter ended her professional tennis career in just three years.
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Career As A Sports Broadcaster
Early Career, ESPN, C.B.S., And N.B.C. Sports
Following the end of her professional tennis career, Mary decided to have a career in the television industry. Initially, she started working for the U.S.A. Network in 1980.
The sportscaster was immediately loved for her deep voice, sarcasm, great sense of humor, and badminton rant.
On the other hand, her voice and nature led fans to speculate about her sexuality.
However, she rarely paid attention and did not talk about it. Nonetheless, the author has never tried to hide her identity.
Additionally, Mary is known for her straightforward and unfiltered opinions that sometimes get her in trouble.
Well-known players like Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova, etc., have criticized her for bashing them.
Many fans agree that the host takes a cheap shot and does not miss a chance to insult the top players.
In 1981, the former athlete also worked for Public Broadcasting Service and M.S.G. Network.
After her career with the USA Network ended in 1987, she joined ESPN in 1988.
She worked for nine years before departing in 1997, only to rejoin in 2003.
Besides that, the former tennis player covered the U.S. Open for C.B.S. Network for 28 years.
Not to mention, Carillo has covered the French Open and Wimbledon for Turner Sports and HBO too.
Finally, in 2003, she joined N.B.C. Sports as an analyst for the network.
The reporter has also covered the French Open and Wimbledon for N.B.C. Furthermore, she has done some commentary for The Tennis Channel.
Olympics, Hosting, And Commentating
Carillo served as an Olympic tennis analyst for the Atlanta and Sydney Summer Olympics.
On top of that, Mary also served as the skiing reporter at the Winter Olympics.
Further, at the 2004 Athens Games, she made her debut as a full-time Olympic host. As a result, Mary earned critical praise from the hosting community.
She was also the commentator for the Grand Slam-style coverage the same year.
Moreover, the athlete also hosted the Olympic Ice at the 2006 Winter games.
In addition, she also served as a late-night show host and closing ceremony host for the 2008 Bejing Games.
Likewise, she repeated these duties for the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics and 2012 Summer Olympics.
Overall, Carillo had an amazing hosting and commentating Career in the Olympics.
She won the award for the first time while working on a documentary about Billie Jean King and another for co-writing a documentary with Frank DeFord.
While with N.B.C. Sports, she is also covering dog shows.
Furthermore, she previously hosted the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in 2011.
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Writing Books And Starring In Movies
Mary has written three books besides having a successful tennis and sportscasting career.
She is the author of Tennis My Way, Rick Elstein’s Tennis Kinetics: With Martina Navratilova, and Tennis Confidential II: More of Today’s Greatest Players, Matches, and Controversies.
Furthermore, she starred as herself in Wimbledon, a romantic comedy movie released in 2004.
Similarly, she helped write two documentaries for which she was awarded the Peabody Award.
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Achievements And Highlights
- 1977 Grand Slam Title
- Runner Up at U.S. Open Clay Courts
- Two-time Broadcaster of the Year by the Women’s Tennis Association in 1981 and 1985
- Best Commentator by World Tennis Magazine and Toronto Star in 1986 and Tennis magazine from 1988 to 1991
- Inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.
- Two-time Recipient of Peabody Awards for Billie Jean King, Portrait of a Pioneer, and Dare to Compete: The Struggle of Women in Sport
- Sports Emmy Award
- 2010 Dick Schaap Award for Outstanding Journalism
- ITF’s 2015 Philippee Chatrier Award
- 2016 (Annalee) Thurston Award
- 2017 Eugene L. Scott Award by the International Tennis Hall of Fame
- Inducted into the (2018) Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame
Mary Carillo | Marriage, Spouse, And Kids
The former athlete was married to Bill Bowden in 1983. He was a tennis instructor. Moreover, the two bonded over their shared passion for tennis.
Mary and Bill had a smooth-sailing marriage for 15 years before they divorced in 1998.
Besides that, they have two kids, Rachel Bowden and Anthony Bowden.
Besides that, the former tennis player’s granddaughter, Reya, has kept her busy and on her toes.
According to Carillo, she was born in 2020 and was the “Best thing that happened in 2020.”
Rachel Bowden graduated from Elon University with a degree in business management.
Their son Anthony Carillo is an actor. Following her divorce, she dated many women.
Furthermore, she was also linked to author Sara Crummett. Even though her sexual orientation is a hot topic among fans, Mary has never addressed her sexuality publicly.
Mary Carillo | Net Worth And Salary
Carillo has earned most of her wealth as a professional tennis player and sportscaster.
Although her salary details are unknown, she reportedly earns over $50 thousand a year.
Since she is an experienced analyst and sportscaster who has worked with major networks, her salary might be more than that.
As per different sources, Mary’s net worth is estimated at $10 million.
Not to mention, she is an award-winning Journalist and has been termed the best commentator.
On top of that, she is the author of some great-selling books and has worked with well-known authors.
Besides that, she lives in a beautiful home in Queens, New York, and lives part-time in her Naples, Florida, home.
Mary Carillo | Social Media Presence
The French Open winner is not active on any social media platform. Hence, she does not have an Instagram or Twitter account.
The sportscaster might be a bit old school, but she likes to live her life now.
Mary Carillo | Popularity
Carillo is a popular household name in American Television as a sportscaster on the N.B.C. Television network.
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