DAN EVANS: Mike Dickson was part of the furniture here at Wimbledon… Mail Sport’s legendary tennis correspondent is sorely missed
- Ny Breaking tennis correspondent Mike Dickson died this year at the age of 59
- He was a giant in the industry and worked at the Mail for a total of 33 years
- Dickson has reported on more than 30 different sports in nearly 50 countries
It will be strange that Mike Dickson is not at Wimbledon this year. He started working as a tennis correspondent for the Ny Breaking long before I played professionally and I remember our first meeting vividly.
I had gotten a wildcard into Queen’s as a teenager and a few of us went out for a night out in London. Dicko saw our missteps and beat us up.
It was the first time I was in the press and I was furious about it. I was young and trying to make a good impression. I thought about it for a few months before I met Dicko for the first time, at a match in Bath. He was so friendly and polite that it was impossible to be angry with him.
The older I got, the more I understood the importance of what he did. Everything Dicko wrote was balanced and honest. Tennis needs guys like him and he was part of the furniture. We ended up sharing a few dinners together and I had great admiration for him.
He was the first face I expected to see facing me at a press conference – and my media session at the Australian Open in January was sadly the last he attended before he passed away. The outpouring of grief showed what a popular man he was. He will be missed, but certainly remembered.
Mike Dickson poses with the Ron Bookman Media Excellence Award he won in 2016
Every year at Wimbledon I rent a place for a few weeks in the village, not far from where Dicko’s family live. I go to Demitasse coffee house every morning and I like the familiarity of it. You arrive the weekend before and it’s all so peaceful and quiet — perfectly laid out flowers everywhere — then the gates open and it’s pandemonium. It’s my favorite competition on the track.
Personally, I’m just glad I got here because I injured my knee a few weeks ago and the initial prognosis wasn’t good. I was pretty much ruled out, so I haven’t had much practice and my expectations are pretty low. But it’s a good opportunity to get out on the court before I hopefully play doubles with Andy Murray at the Olympics in Paris.
It is a shame that Andy’s fitness is at stake for Wimbledon because he is one of the icons of British sport. His work ethic and resilience has inspired people outside the tennis world. I don’t think we will see a British tennis player do what Andy has done, given all the setbacks he has had. I hope he gets the send-off he deserves here. He will get a special reception either way.
British number 3 Dan Evans says it will be strange that Dickson will not be at Wimbledon this year
There are 12 British competitors in the men’s division, the most we have had for a long time. Eight of them are wildcards and four are straight acceptances. It is an indication that British tennis is in good health, but next year we must aim for eight direct qualifiers.
With so many promising Brits, like Jack Draper and Henry Searle, there is a great opportunity for a few young lads to make a name for themselves. If a young lad in 240th place wins a round, that is a big point for him.
Getting your feet wet at this level can do all sorts of things for your ambition and inspiration. It can really put some young lads on the right track and hopefully we’ll see that in the next week or so.