Mark Hodgkinson, the Telegraph’s much-loved tennis correspondent and author, has died aged 46

Mark Hodgkinson had more reason than most to be happy that Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic managed to qualify. the men’s final of the Australian Open last weekend. He had books about both men.

Either way, Hodgkinson would be able to use it to boost publicity and sales – a talent that was not lost on his agent David Luxton.

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“Last year at the Australian Open, Novak posed with his book for a social media post,” Luxton recalls. “It was by no means an authorized biography, but I think it reflected well on Mark. He had the ability to get along with people, to create connections between people, he was respected by his peers.”

Hodgkinson, who died this week aged 46, was the The telegraph tennis correspondent from 2005 to 2011 before establishing himself as an award-winning author. Fondly remembered in this parish for his mischievous character and quirky style – both in prose and in life – his appointment, while still in his twenties, raised eyebrows at the time.

The role of tennis correspondent at The telegraph is coveted. Before his appointment in 2005, there had been only four in the previous 95 years. Hodgkinson’s predecessor, John Parsons, held the title for 23 years and was considered the dean of tennis.

“I nominated him at a very young age and was politely invited to Wimbledon to explain my decision!” recalls Keith Perry, who was then a sports editor. “I think the powers that be thought this reflected a decision to relegate tennis after John Parsons’ long tenure when in fact the opposite was true: we wanted a very passionate young writer to follow the story of (Andy) Murray in a brilliant era for tennis. He did an excellent job. Tennis was his passion and he represented The telegraph and its readers very well. The news of his death is beyond comprehension and it is a terrible loss. »

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Olivier Brown, The telegraph chief sports editor, joined at the same time, and was impressed by Hodgkinson’s ability to project his own voice from the start. “Mark wasn’t afraid to approach his reports the wrong way,” says Brown. “He had his own style. It became a running joke that he was always mentioning the ‘limestone cliffs’ of Monaco or the ‘kitsch Mussolini-era statues’ in Rome. But it worked for him.

“He was a correspondent during what was a vintage era for tennis, with Federer and Nadal in their pomp, and then the emergence of Djokovic and Murray. He really established himself as an authoritative voice.”

Simon Briggswho succeeded Hodgkinson as tennis correspondent, agrees: “He was a very good writer, very talented. A little offbeat. He could be a little dismissive about lines and lengths, but he had his own voice. He was also very funny. I remember him and Kevin Mitchell in Monaco one year convincing a tipsy fan that he was Tim Henman.”

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It was after another Australian Open final, Murray’s straight-sets defeat to Roger Federer in 2010 (the one after which Murray famously uttered: “I can cry like Roger – it’s just a shame I can’t play like him”) that Hodgkinson experienced by far the most dramatic incident of his period with The telegraph.

Returning to his downtown hotel early in the morning in Melbourne, with Telegraph colleague Kevin Garside, Hodgkinson was hit by a motorist who appeared to swerve directly towards him as he crossed a road. It turned out the driver had murdered a young woman earlier in the evening before setting fire to their hotel room. He had previously hit another pedestrian while speeding through the city, ignoring red lights and driving on the wrong side of the road.

“Mark was thrown onto the hood of the car like an upside-down beetle,” Garside recalled. “Honestly, I thought maybe he was dead. It was absolutely terrifying.” Fortunately, Hodgkinson escaped with only a few broken teeth and a concussion. He testified at the trial that followed. The murderer, who was on parole at the time, was sentenced to at least 19 years in prison.

After leaving The telegraph the following year, Hodgkinson became a freelance writer and author, producing a best-selling biography of Murray in 2013 and then another book about Murray’s coach, Ivan Lendl. A light fixture Wimbledon every summer, he wrote the tennis reports for the official London 2012 program.

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He didn’t just write about tennis. Hodgkinson has collaborated with Robbie Williams on a fashion project, as well as Daniel Craig, Tom Hiddleston and their trainer Simon Waterson on two fitness books, the second of which was a #1 bestseller on Amazon. He also wrote a book for Naomi Osaka’s former coach Sascha Bajin, which was a bestseller in Japan.

Hodgkinson’s two most recent books – on Djokovic and Alcaraz – were both well received. Looking for Novakwon the International Sports Book of the Year at the Charles Tyrwhitt Sports Book Awards 2025. It was also a Times sports book of the year in 2024, was shortlisted for the 2024 William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award and has been published in 10 languages. Being Carlos Alcarazmeanwhile, was only released in November but has already won admirers. Former player-turned-pundit Annabel Croft described it as a “wonderful book”, calling Hodgkinson’s research and level of detail “incredible”.