Elena Pero Has Died: Farewell to Sky Sport’s Voice of Tennis

Elena Pero has died at the age of 60: Sky, where she had worked for over 35 years and had been hired by her mentor, Rino Tommasi, made the tragic announcement of the sportscaster’s passing. She was a beloved voice of tennis in Italy. “Farewell to a colleague, a friend, an extraordinary and unforgettable person,” reads the satellite broadcaster’s statement.

“Elena Pero is no longer with us. Her voice—the voice of tennis—will live on forever. She was 60 years old. She never missed a broadcast, not even while she was ill. The last time we heard her—just as you did at home—was at Wimbledon, where she celebrated Jannik Sinner’s second consecutive victory, just as she had done for his historic first win—on July 13, 2025 —alongside Paolo Bertolucci, with whom she formed, over more than 20 years of commentating together, the second formidable duo of her career.”

This is how Elena Pero responded to the haters’ nastiness

“In these desperate days, the only consolation is to remember Elena right there, in her place, with headphones and a microphone, on the most legendary court, doing her job—the one she was best at. Naturally, the best. Without thinking highly of herself, and without ever making anyone feel that she was.”

Adriano Panatta speaks candidly about Elena Pero

“Elena has been the face of this publication, Sky Sport, for more than thirty-five years, ever since it was called Telepiù, where she joined right from its founding as a trainee journalist in 1991, hired by Rino Tommasi, her great mentor, from whom she inherited—as the only one capable of doing so—the heaviest legacy. Her voice is, and always will be, a symbol of pure beauty. Like the sound of a ball struck by Roger Federer, like a volley by Martina Navratilova. It would take the essence of her storytelling—so rich, precise, warm, and intense, yet without yielding to rhetoric or excess, and without wasting a single adjective—to list all the achievements and all the qualities of this extraordinary professional. We hope that this woman journalist—so far removed from the model so often cheapened today, especially on social media, and for this reason so relevant and exemplary—will serve as a role model for future generations of young people, especially young women.”

“She gave so much, so very much, to her work, and she received so much, so very much in return. She gave everything to her family and received everything in return—to her daughter Martina, to her (and our) Sergio, the great producer recently honored by the Club at Wimbledon for his remarkable career, who was always by Elena’s side, even on the court. Today, our thoughts are with them.”

Roger Federer speaks out about Jannik Sinner and surprises everyone

“Elena loved sports and their values, and she adored and honored tennis, a love reciprocated by fans—both those who have always been fans and those who became fans thanks to Sinner and his teammates. Through her commentary, she chronicled generations of champions, both male and female, chronicling their achievements without ever putting herself in the spotlight. She made her mark with her distinctive style and encyclopedic knowledge, without overdoing it; she never traded respect for fan support; she defused hostility with the lightness of her words—always the right ones. She cried that day for Jannik at Wimbledon, and we cried with her.”

“She belongs in the pantheon alongside—to name just a few—Nicolò Carosio, Nando Martellini, Paolo Rosi, Alfredo Pigna, and Adriano De Zan, those who recounted the legendary feats of our sport to millions of Italians, such as those of Sinner and this golden age of Italian tennis. She has left us, just as Rino Tommasi and Gianni Clerici did.”

Carlos Alcaraz Makes a Heartfelt Statement About Sinner

“We will never stop listening to you. And we will never stop remembering you, dear Elena. Even though we at Sky Sport will never be the same, we promise we’ll do everything we can to be worthy of what you left us—your example. And of you. A pure soul, a decent person, an exemplary journalist, a wonderful colleague. A great, unforgettable voice.”