What is Mary Carillo's Net Worth and Salary?
Mary Carillo is an American former professional tennis player and current TV commentator who boasts a net worth of $14 million.
Carillo's professional tennis career spanned from 1977 to 1980, during which she clinched the French Open mixed-doubles title with John McEnroe in her debut season. Post-retirement, Carillo transitioned to sportscasting, becoming a prominent analyst for major networks such as ESPN, CBS, and NBC. She has extensively covered the Olympic Games on various networks including CBS, NBC, and Bravo.
Early Life
Mary Carillo was born on March 15, 1957, in New York City to Terry and Anthony Carillo. She was raised with her brother, Charles, and sister, Gina.
Tennis Career
Carillo embarked on her professional tennis journey in 1977, participating in the WTA Tour until knee injuries led to her retirement in 1980. Although she did not capture any major singles titles, she achieved significant success by winning the 1977 French Open mixed-doubles title with John McEnroe. That same season, they reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals, and Carillo, alongside Wendy Overton, made it to the women's doubles quarterfinals at the US Open. Her highest world ranking was No. 33 from January to March of 1980.
Sportscasting Career
Following her retirement from professional tennis, Carillo commenced a successful sportscasting career. She began with tennis broadcasts on the USA Network until 1987, along with covering tennis on PBS and MSG. From 1988 to 1997, and again from 2003 to 2010, she served as a sportscaster for ESPN. Concurrently, she covered the US Open for CBS Sports from 1986 to 2014 and was a host and analyst for HBO's Wimbledon coverage from 1996 to 1999. In 2003, Carillo joined NBC Sports, providing insightful analysis for their French Open and Wimbledon coverage, and also contributed her expertise to the Tennis Channel.
Carillo is notable for her clever insights, humor, and rich voice, earning acclaim for coining the term "Big Babe Tennis," which describes the powerful, dominating women in the sport.
Beyond tennis, Carillo is known for her Olympic coverage. She was CBS's skiing reporter for Winter Olympics coverage in the 1990s and provided tennis analysis at the Summer Olympics in the early 2000s. She made her debut as a full-time Olympic host on Bravo during the 2004 Athens Games. Carillo further showcased her versatility by hosting a daily figure skating show on the USA Network during the 2006 Torino Games and continued with Olympic coverage in Beijing (2008), Vancouver (2010), London (2012), and Sochi (2014).
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Other Media Appearances
Since 1997, Carillo has been a correspondent on the HBO newsmagazine program "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel." She also co-hosts broadcasts of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show and commentates for the Hallmark Channel's Kitten Bowl. Moreover, she made a cameo appearance as herself in the romantic comedy film "Wimbledon."
Honors and Awards
Over her storied career, Carillo has received numerous accolades. Named Broadcaster of the Year by the Women's Tennis Association in 1981 and 1985, she later won a Sports Emmy Award for her feature on the Hoyt family of athletes on "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel." In 2010, she became the first female recipient of the Dick Schaap Award for Outstanding Journalism. Carillo also co-wrote two Peabody Award-winning HBO documentaries about women in sports. She received the prestigious Thurston Award in 2016 and was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2018.
Personal Life
Carillo was married to tennis instructor Bill Bowden from 1983 until their divorce in 1998, and they have two children, Anthony and Rachel. She divides her time between Naples, Florida, and Greenwich Village in New York City.
Naples Home
In March 1998, Carillo purchased a Naples, Florida home for $280,000. After comprehensive renovations, the property, thanks to its prime location, is valued between $4-6 million today.
