A tribute to Daily Mail Tennis Correspondent Mike Dickson
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Mike Dickson, who has passed away suddenly in Melbourne whilst covering the Australian Open, was one of the leading tennis journalists of his generation and respected by his many colleagues.
Mike worked closely with British players and everyone involved in the sport for many years, bringing a sharp eye for detail, rich reportage, a good nose for a story and a genuine love of the sport to his writing.
He began his career working on his local paper the Chester Chronicle, worked for 2CR Radio in Bournemouth, contributed to the Guardian before moving to the Daily Mail in 1990. He has continued to work for the paper for the past 33 years.
His work at the Mail was rich and varied, taking in such sports as football, cricket, golf and tennis. He did a nine year spell as Cricket Correspondent, including leading the paper’s coverage of the famous 2005 Ashes series. He also covered numerous Ryder Cups and had moved to become Tennis Correspondent by the time Andy Murray ended Great Britain’s 77 year wait for a men’s singles champion in 2013.
He was always interested in the game beyond the high-profile tournaments however, and could often be found at a junior event looking to identify the stars of the future, speaking to those in the industry about padel or pickleball or simply chatting to coaches about the strength of the British game. He played tennis regularly himself and was interested in every aspect of the sport.
He was an ardent supporter of both the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup, enjoying the team spirit and unique atmosphere that those events encapsulate. He received the Billie Jean King Cup Media Award from the ITF in 2022 and the LTA’s own President’s award for Media Services to Tennis in 2016.
He was always straight and thoughtful when reporting his opinions and throughout his many years covering the game he interviewed numerous players and had a treasure trove of anecdotes about the greats of the sport. He was generous with his time on tour and enjoyed sharing his experience with others. He was a key figure for many years in the British Tennis Journalists Association (BTJA).
In recent years he wrote a weekly column on tennis for the Mail, that as well as exploring the big issues of the day took a more reflective look at life on tour and the places that the tennis circuit visited. This writing reflected his interests outside tennis in the restaurants, museums, art galleries, culture and architecture of the cities of the world.
He was author of a number of books, including a captivating account of Emma Raducanu’s victory at the 2021 US Open, entitled "Emma Raducanu: When tennis came home.” Mike was always proud of his Wirral roots and remained a lifelong Everton and Tranmere Rovers fan.
He is survived by his wife Lucy and three children.
Scott Lloyd, Chief Executive of the LTA said: “The LTA and British Tennis family are saddened to learn of the sudden passing of our esteemed colleague Mike Dickson. Mike was the doyen of tennis writers for many decades who was always first to show up at a tournament and had an uncanny sense for a story. A brilliant journalist, he absolutely loved his job, travelling the world and was incredibly well respected. No one journalist supported Davis Cup or Billie Jean King Cup more throughout the years. Our thoughts go out to his wife Lucy and three children. He will be sorely missed.”
