Clerici, Gianni

Gianni Clerici
Born: July 24, 1930
Hometown: Como, Lombardy, Italy
Citizenship: Italy
Inducted: 2006

Born in Italy in 1930, Gianni Clerici is an acclaimed tennis editor, columnist and author, covering tennis’ major championships for over 40 years. He has attended more than 170 Grand Slam tournaments and has written over 6,000 articles on sports, with tennis as his main concentration. His writing career started in 1956 as he joined Il Giorno (Milan daily newspaper) as a reporter and columnist. Today Clerici writes for Rome’s leading newspaper La Repubblica (1988-present) and the weekly L’Espresso (1960-present).

He is an international author, having written “500 Anni di Tennis” published in 1974 in French, German, Japanese, Spanish and in English as the “Ultimate Tennis Book.” In 1965 he completed an instructional guide “II Vero Tennis” and then in 1972 followed it with “II Tennis Facile.” In 1984 he released a biography on Suzanne Lenglen, one of the original icons in women’s tennis, and then followed it with a biographical play, which was produced in Paris.

In addition, Clerici’s wit and knowledge of tennis propelled him into the broadcast field as a fixture on the largest Italian broadcasting network, a tennis commentator for over 30 years.

Clerici has dedicated his life to improving the cultural side of tennis through art, along with his books and plays. He assisted in the completion of Roland Garros’ Tenniseum, which opened in 2003 and will be instrumental in a new tennis museum to be built in Milan by the Italian Tennis Federation.

Clerici has been honored on several occasions, named Prix Vallecorsi (Italian Playwright of the Year, 1987), Penna d’Oro (Golden Pen) Best Italian Sports Columnist of the Year (1992) and in 1998 he was designated by the Italian Olympic Committee as the “Sports Writer For Life.”

Clerici, as a junior tennis player, won the 1950 Galea Cup, the 1952 Monte Carlo New Eve Tournament, was a singles finalist in the 1950 Italian Junior Championships and was an Italian Junior Championships doubles winner in 1947-48. As an Italian singles player, he played at Wimbledon and the French National Championships twice.

Clerici was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame as a contributor to the sport. He is the second Italian to be inducted, as he follows countryman Nicola Pietrangeli, inducted in1986.

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