Howard Fendrich Credit: AP
By Sean Keeley on

Howard Fendrich, who covered a wide range of sporting events but was an expert in tennis coverage for the Associated Press, died Thursday at the age of 55.

The Associated Press spoke with Fenrich’s wife, Rosanna Maietta, who confirmed he died Thursday at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. He had been diagnosed with cancer in February, shortly after returning from covering his 11th Olympics.

“Howard was a gifted journalist who brought such skill, expertise, and enthusiasm to his work,” said AP Executive Editor and Senior Vice President Julie Pace. “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 spent 33 years at the AP, starting as an unpaid intern in Rome. After returning to the United States, he became an editor on the AP sports desk at the New York headquarters and penned a sports media column. He moved to the Washington area in 2005 and continued to cover that region’s major sports stories. Over his career, he earned two Grimsley Awards for best overall body of work among AP sports writers

Tennis coverage was where he thrived, covering the careers of Venus and Serena Williams, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and others. In total, he wrote about around 70 Grand Slam tournaments over nearly a quarter-century.

“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,” Federer told the AP. “Tennis lost a wonderful journalist and a great person.”

Tributes for Fenrich poured in as news of his passing spread.

About Sean Keeley

Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.

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