Veteran sports journalist Howard Fendrich has died at the age of 55, with tributes pouring in from tennis greats and colleagues who say his writing helped bring some of sport’s biggest moments to life for readers around the world.
Fendrich, a long-time reporter for The Associated Press, died on Thursday at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.
His wife, Rosanna Maietta, said he had been diagnosed with cancer in February, shortly after returning from Milan where he covered his 11th Olympic Games.
Over a 33-year career with AP, Fendrich became best known for his tennis coverage, reporting on more than 70 Grand Slam tournaments, and documenting the careers of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Venus and Serena Williams.
His work drew praise for its detail and ability to capture moments beyond the scoreboard, something tennis champion Roger Federer highlighted in a tribute.
“One of those constant and reassuring presences in the tennis world for many years,” Federer said, reflecting on more than two decades of interactions with Fendrich.
“He started covering tennis in 2002, right around the time I was starting to have my breakthrough in the sport, and over time he truly became part of the fabric of tennis,” he said.
“Tennis lost a wonderful journalist and a great person.”
AP executive editor and senior vice president Julie Pace also paid tribute, describing Fendrich as a gifted storyteller and respected colleague.
“Howard was a gifted journalist who brought such skill, expertise and enthusiasm to his work,” she said.
“His stories were a joy to read, combining lively writing with insightful reporting. He was also a generous and beloved colleague whose warmth and passion touched so many across the AP.”
Fendrich began his career at AP as an unpaid intern in Rome after graduating from Haverford College near Philadelphia. He later worked his way into the organisation’s European sports coverage before returning to the United States, where he became a fixture on the sports desk in New York and later Washington.
While he covered a wide range of sports, from the Olympics to skiing, tennis remained his passion.
He was known for capturing moments beyond the court, including Andre Agassi’s emotional farewell at the 2006 US Open, his final match.
“Crouched alone in the silence of the locker room, a pro tennis player no more, a red-eyed Andre Agassi twisted his torso in an attempt to conquer the seemingly mundane task of pulling a white shirt over his head. Never more than at that moment did Agassi seem so vulnerable, looking far older than his 36 years,” Fendrich wrote at the time.
Fendrich is survived by his wife, his mother Renée, his brother Alex, and his two sons Stefano and Jordan, who have followed his footsteps and are pursuing careers in sports journalism.
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