Mark Hodgkinson, a respected tennis writer and former Daily Telegraph correspondent whose work traced a defining era in the sport, died in hospital on February 5, aged 46, after falling ill the day before.
We wanted a super enthusiastic young writer to follow the story [Andy] Murray story in a brilliant time for tennis. He did a great job. Tennis was his passion and he represented The Telegraph and its readers very well. The news of his death is unbelievable and it is a terrible loss. Keith Perry, former sports editor of the Daily Telegraph
Hodgkinson was the Telegraph’s tennis correspondent between 2005 and 2011, a successful author and a fixture in the sport for more than 20 years.
In recent years he has written excellent books on Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, the latter published in November, and has been highly respected and admired by other journalists throughout his career.
The statement from his wife, Amy, said: “The family of Mark Hodgkinson are very sad to share the news that he passed away unexpectedly on Thursday 5 February. We wanted to let Mark’s many tennis friends know. We will share the details of his funeral in due course, but at this time we are still dealing with the impact of this on our family. Thank you for your understanding.”
Still in his mid-twenties, Hodgkinson became one of the youngest journalists to take on one of the most coveted roles in British sports literature at The Daily Telegraph.
His appointment in 2005 raised some eyebrows as there had been only four tennis correspondents in the previous 95 years, while Hodgkinson’s predecessor, John Parsons, had held the role for 23 years and was considered the doyen of tennis.
“I appointed him at a very young age and was politely invited to Wimbledon to explain my decision!” recalls Keith Perry, then sports editor. “I think the powers that be thought this reflected a decision to downgrade tennis after John Parsons’ long tenure, when in fact the opposite was true: we wanted a super enthusiastic young writer to follow the trend. [Andy] Murray story in a brilliant time for tennis. He did a great job. Tennis was his passion and he represented The Telegraph and its readers very well. The news of his death is unbelievable and it is a terrible loss.”
Known for his mischievous nature and idiosyncratic style, Hodgkinson was a graduate of Oxford University with a degree in modern history, and quickly established his own voice.
During his time on the beat, Hodgkinson chronicled the careers of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Serena Williams.
His reporting aimed to give readers a complete picture of the sport, combining match analysis with insight into players’ personalities and the atmosphere on and off the field.
After leaving the newspaper, he built a successful career as a freelance writer and award-winning author.
One of his books was ‘Serena: A Graphic Biography of the Greatest Tennis Champion’, an illustrated biography of Serena Williams, published in 2019.
His latest book, ‘Being Carlos Alcaraz: The Man Behind the Smile’, was published in September 2025 and provides insight into how a young boy from an apartment above a kebab shop in a small village became a tennis phenomenon, while his book entitled ‘Searching for Novak’, published in 2024, explored Djokovic’s career and subsequently won the International Sports Book of the Year at the 2025 Charles Tyrwhitt Sports Book Awards.
Previous work includes biographies of Murray and Murray’s former coach Ivan Lendl, while he has also worked as a ghostwriter for a number of high-profile figures, collaborating with Robbie Williams, Daniel Craig and Tom Hiddleston on fashion and fitness projects.
In addition to authorship, Hodgkinson also contributed to the program of the 2012 London Olympics, wrote several Davis Cup yearbooks and produced feature films for Wimbledon.
He also worked on the ATP Tour, including as a writer on the daily supplements at the Nitto ATP Finals during the tournaments at London’s O2 Arena, and contributed to many tennis organizations.
Hodgkinson is survived by his wife Amy and their two daughters Molly and Rosie.
Mark Hodgkinson, author and tennis journalist, born January 5, 1980, died February 5, 2026.
#Obituary #Mark #Hodgkinson #tennis #writer #dies #aged