British Tennis Writer Mike Dickson Dies While Covering Australian Open: 'For 38 Years He Lived His Dream’

Dickson would have celebrated his 60th birthday later this month

British tennis reporter Mike Dickson has died while covering the Australian Open, his family confirmed on Wednesday in a post on social media. He was 59.

"We are devastated to announce that our wonderful husband and Dad, Mike, has collapsed and died while in Melbourne for the Aus Open," his wife Lucy confirmed in a joint family statement shared to the writer's X (formerly Twitter) account.

"For 38 years he lived his dream covering sport all over the world," the statement continued. "He was a truly great man and we will miss him terribly."

The Daily Mail, where Dickson covered sports for 33 years, confirmed his death in a tribute to the writer and said the "loss will be felt deeply by colleagues."

Previously a cricket correspondent, Dickson covered 30 sports across almost 50 countries, according to the outlet.

Dickson would have celebrated his 60th birthday on Jan. 27.

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In a response to Dickson's family's statement on X, the official Australian Open account paid tribute to the beloved reporter.

"We are shocked and saddened to hear of the sudden passing of Mike, our long-standing colleague and friend. Our thoughts and condolences go out to his family," the tournament's account wrote.

The US Open also shared condolences to his family in a post on the app, writing, "We are incredibly saddened to learn of Mike's passing."

"Mike was one of the most well-respected journalists in the industry, and our media center won't be the same without him. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and colleagues."

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Daily Mail correspondent Mike Keegan wrote, "So sorry for your loss. Mike was a giant of a journalist and, as a colleague, you could not ask for better. Always generous with his time, expertise & wit. It was always a pleasure to be in his company. A great man who we will all miss desperately."

David McDonnell, who covers Manchester football for the outlet, said Dickson's passing was "such shocking news" and shared a personal story from decades back.

"A superb writer and top operator but, more importantly, a genuinely lovely guy, with a wonderfully dry sense of humour. When I started out on the tennis circuit in 1999, he was like a mentor to me, doing all he could to help me settle in."

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