Mark Hodgkinson, a former tennis correspondent for The Daily Telegraph and an award-winning author, died unexpectedly at the age of 46. He fell ill at home on 4 February and died in hospital the following day.
Career Highlights and Contributions
Hodgkinson covered tennis for the Telegraph from 2005 to 2011, taking on the role at 25 and joining a long line of the paper’s notable tennis writers. His reporting combined match analysis with portraits of players and the feel of tournaments on and off the court.
Across his career, he wrote about the eras of tennis legends such as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, and Serena Williams. He also worked as a ghostwriter for prominent figures and collaborated with celebrities like Robbie Williams, Daniel Craig, and Tom Hiddleston on fashion and fitness projects.
His recent book, Searching for Novak, published in 2024, won International Sports Book of the Year at the 2025 Charles Tyrwhitt Sports Book Awards, a testament to his deep understanding of the sport and its players.
An Oxford University graduate in Modern History, Hodgkinson wrote several Davis Cup annuals, produced features for the London 2012 Olympics programme, and contributed to Wimbledon and the WTA Tour. He also worked with the ATP Tour on daily supplements during the Nitto ATP Finals at London’s O2 Arena, further establishing his reputation as a leading voice in tennis journalism.
He is survived by his partner, Amy, and their daughters, Molly and Rosie. Hodgkinson often recalled an early trip to the 2005 Italian Open in Rome, when Amy watched her first live match while he filed on deadline; the contest, a five-set, five-hour epic won by Rafael Nadal over Guillermo Coria, has since been remembered as one of the ATP Tour’s classics.
Mark Hodgkinson was born on 5 January 1980 and died on 5 February 2026, leaving behind a legacy of insightful sports writing and cherished memories in the world of tennis.