By Simon Cambers

It is with enormous sadness and shock that we reflect on the passing of British journalist and author Mark Hodgkinson, who has died at the age of 46. 

Mark Hodgkinson was a hugely talented writer and a funny, lovely guy. The Telegraph’s tennis correspondent from 2005 to 2011, he took over from the legendary John Parsons and he filled the role brilliantly with a light touch and a wicked sense of humour. 

Mark never took himself too seriously (or tennis for that matter) but did his job diligently and creatively, always looking for a different angle on a story, interview or match report. His time at the Telegraph spanned the careers of some of the all-time greats in tennis history, from Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal to Serena and Venus Williams, to Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, with the latter’s quest for a first Grand Slam title consuming much of his time.

Generous and always happy to chat, Mark left The Telegraph in 2011. He then set up The Tennis Space, an independent tennis website, securing funding and helping it to become one of the most respected news sources. In 2013, he wrote his first book, a biography of Andy Murray, charting the Scot’s path to grand slam glory. 

Over the years that followed, Mark became a prolific and award-winning author. He wrote books on Serena Williams and Roger Federer and penned books about Ivan Lendl, Novak Djokovic and most recently, Carlos Alcaraz, The Man Behind the Smile. His latest book, Three Kings, is due to be published this summer.

I worked with Mark at The Tennis Space and again when we created the first ever Fantasy Wimbledon game together, in 2014. He was smart, hard-working, fun and unfailingly kind, always good company. 

In addition to his books, Mark worked at Wimbledon every year, elevating the official website with his wit and wisdom.

Mark is survived by his partner, Amy, and daughters Molly, 15, and Rosie, 12.

He will be tremendously missed.