Rafael Nadal recently mourned the death of Rino Tommasi, the iconic Italian tennis journalist and commentator. The Spaniard penned an emotional tribute for Tommasi, who breathed his last on Wednesday, January 8 at the age of 90.
Soon after the news of Tommasi’s death broke, the former World No. 1 and 22-time Grand Slam champion took to X (formerly Twitter) and wrote:
“Today my thoughts are with Rino Tommasi @Rino_Tommasi and his family. Today one of the greats of tennis journalism passed away. A big hug to all my Italian friends. Rest in peace Rino” (translated from Italian)
According to Ubitennis, Tommasi memorably did live Italian commentary for some of Rafael Nadal’s most iconic matches, such as the Spaniard’s 2005 Miami Open final loss to Roger Federer and his epic 2008 Wimbledon Championships title triumph after beating the Swiss in the final. To this day, the 2008 Wimbledon final contested by Nadal and Federer is widely regarded as one of the best matches in tennis history.
Rino Tommasi was born in 1934, in the city of Verona, located in the northern part of Italy. Growing up, Tommasi played tennis, and eventually tasted success on the Italian college tennis circuit. He ultimately pursued sports journalism and started his career at Tuttosport before enjoying spells at Gazzetta dello Sport and Il Tempo. His tennis commentary career saw him lend his voice to a staggering 140 Grand Slam tournaments.
Tommasi’s highlights as a tennis journalist came in 1982 and 1991, as he was named the ‘Tennis Writer of the Year’ on both occasions. Nadal shared a cordial relationship with Tommasi. This became evident in 2018, when the Spaniard penned a brief yet heartwarming message for the stalwart of Italian sports journalism on his 84th birthday.
Rafael Nadal wished Rino Tommasi on his 84th birthday in 2018
On February 23, 2018, Rino Tommasi turned 84, and Rafael Nadal shared an Instagram post to wish the iconic Italian journalist on his birthday. While the record 14-time French Open winner’s birthday wish was short and simple, it reflected the bond between the Spaniard and the Italian.
“Happy birthday to Mr. Tommasi. I wish you well,” Nadal wrote (translated from Italian).
Nadal called time on his illustrious tennis career at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals, with the Spaniard’s last singles match being a straight-set loss to the Netherlands’ Botic van de Zandschulp. He later received an emotional farewell at the prestigious international team tennis event, with tributes pouring in from some of his fiercest rivals.
