The sports journalism community is mourning the sudden passing of Mike Dickson, a prominent figure in tennis reporting. Dickson, who was set to celebrate his 60th birthday on January 27, died suddenly while in Melbourne for the Australian Open.
The news of his death was confirmed through a social media post by his wife and children. “We are devastated to announce that our wonderful husband and Dad, Mike, has collapsed and died while in Melbourne for the Aus Open,” read the message shared via Dickson’s X account. “For 38 years, he lived his dream covering sport all over the world. He was a truly great man, and we will miss him terribly,” added the message from “Lucy, Sam, Ruby, and Joe.”
While generally respected in the sports journalism space, Dickson was also the author of many stories shaming and trying to cancel tennis star Novak Djokovic.
Some of his headlines included: “Welcome to the Wacky World of Novak Djokovic: Anti-vaxxer tennis superstar is a tree-hugger who insists Bosnia’s ‘pyramids’ give off mystic energy and that positive thoughts can PURIFY water,” “Novak Djokovic’s WEASEL words cut no ice and he has damaged his reputation with his ‘misinformation’ around the Australian Open… after helping to create a player union, his leadership credentials have been BADLY damaged,” “Novak Djokovic will remain a hero to some, but to many others he has TRASHED his reputation beyond repair,” and “Novak Djokovic could ruin his chances of becoming the GOAT by refusing to take the vaccine… it is a strange hill to die on for a player who is so desperate to be loved.”
I chased this down and it's 100% true.
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) January 20, 2024
Mike Dickson, a big pharma journalist who heckled Djokovic and tried to railroad his career for his refusal to take the Covid Vaccines suddenly collapsed and died at the Australian Open. pic.twitter.com/IQWzxjpmsM
Dickson referred to Djokovic as “deplorable” and seemed to have a singular fixation on his unvaccinated status. “He says he wants more information, but how much more does he need? More than 10 billion doses have been administered worldwide and there is now a wealth of evidence out there,” Dickson wrote in 2022.
Condolences to Mike Dickson family 🙏 Rest in Peace https://t.co/skSMgwvBcZ
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) January 18, 2024
Despite being a constant target of Dickson, Djokovic shared a respectful message of condolence on X.
