Wimbledon pays tribute to legendary Mail Sport tennis correspondent Mike Dickson by leaving his press office empty following his tragic death earlier this year

Mike Dickson, the legendary Daily Mail tennis correspondent, died in January
He was a giant of the industry and worked at the Mail for a total of 33 years.
Wimbledon chose to honor him by leaving his office empty this year

Wimbledon has paid a moving tribute to legendary Mail Sport tennis correspondent Mike Dickson by leaving his office unoccupied this year.

Dickson, affectionately known as “Mr Wimbledon”, died earlier this year in Melbourne aged 59 while covering the Australian Open.

He was a hugely respected and admired journalist who spent 38 years in the industry – 33 years at the Mail after starting in 1990 – and his loss was deeply felt by his media colleagues, as well as actors past and present.

Today, as a mark of respect to Dickson and his illustrious sports coverage career, Wimbledon has chosen to honour him by leaving office number 79, which he used every summer during the Championships, empty.

“As a mark of respect for our media colleague, Mike Dickson – ‘Dicko’ of the Daily Mail, who sadly passed away while covering the Australian Open in January, his desk (#79) will be left empty this year,” reads a note on the desk.

Legendary Daily Mail tennis correspondent Mike Dickson died tragically in January

A tribute was stuck on the computer Dickson would use every year at Wimbledon

Desk No. 79, which Dickson used at every Wimbledon, was left empty as a tribute

“We invite everyone who knew Mike to come to the press reception and add their name to a photo we have produced.

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“This will be framed and given to his family at the end of the Championships.”

As the tournament approaches, Dickson’s death has once again struck a chord with players.

“It will be strange not to have Mike at Wimbledon this year,” British star Dan Evans said at the weekend.

“He started working as the Daily Mail’s tennis correspondent long before I played professionally and I remember our first meeting very well.

“I was given a wildcard to Queen’s when I was a teenager and a few of us ended up going out in London at night. Dicko found out what we were doing and hammered us.

Without Dickson there will be a gaping hole in the Wimbledon press room.

British number 3 Dan Evans says it would be strange not to have Dickson at Wimbledon this year

“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 spent a few months thinking about it before meeting Dicko for the first time, at a competition in Bath.

“He was so nice and polite that it was impossible to be angry with him.”

He added: “The older I got, the more I understood the importance of what he did. Everything Dicko wrote was balanced and fair. Tennis needs guys like him and he was part of the furniture. We ended up sharing a few dinners together and I had a great admiration for him.”