Chris Mckendry

Chris McKendry, born Christine McKendry on February 18, 1968, began her broadcasting career after graduating from Drexel University in 1990, where she was a Division I scholarship tennis player. Prior to joining ESPN, McKendry established herself in local television. From 1994 to 1996, she worked at WJLA-TV, an ABC affiliate in Washington, D.C., as a sports reporter. During this period, she made history as the first woman to serve as a television sports news anchor in the Washington D.C. market. In June 1996, her work was recognized with a regional Sports Emmy Award in the Best Sports Segment Category for “NFL 101.” Her early career also included roles as a sports anchor/reporter at All-News Channel/Conus in Minneapolis (1993–1994), an update anchor for USA Network (1993–1994) and Newsport (1994), and a producer for Fox News Service in Washington D.C. (1992–1993). Additionally, in 1996, she served as a sideline and feature reporter for TNT and TBS during the NBA Playoffs.

McKendry joined ESPN in 1996, first anchoring SportsCenter on July 27 of that year. She was instrumental in the launch of ESPNEWS, temporarily shifting to the 24-hour sports news network before returning to SportsCenter to co-host weekend morning and weekday 6 p.m. editions. Her versatility at ESPN extended beyond SportsCenter, encompassing a wide array of assignments. She hosted ESPN’s Wimbledon coverage in 2007 and covered the U.S. Open for SportsCenter from 2002 to 2006. She also co-hosted ESPN’s coverage of the Winter X Games and was a late-night host for the X Games in 1997 and 1998. Furthermore, she contributed to College Football Live in 2007, was a sideline reporter for the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup across ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC Sports, and has hosted ESPN’s coverage of the National Spelling Bee since 2002. McKendry also contributed as a columnist for ESPN.com’s “Page Two” in 2001 and 2002.

A significant career turning point occurred on March 31, 2016, when McKendry anchored her final SportsCenter broadcast to transition to full-time tennis coverage for ESPN. This move solidified her role as the on-site host for ESPN’s Grand Slam tennis coverage, including the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and US Open. This dedicated focus built upon her long-standing involvement with tennis broadcasting, reinforcing her status as a leading voice in sports journalism. She is married to Eduardo Andrade and they have two sons.