Rino Tommasi, tennis icon on TV with Gianni Clerici, dies

Verona, January 8, 2025 – He passed away at the age of 90 in his Verona Salvatore Tommasi, for everyone Rino, a pillar of sports journalism, known above all for his tennis commentary e boxing of which he was a great expert. A tennis player himself of a fair level (he won four titles of Italian university champion and two bronze medals at the World Student Games), he held roles in the Federtennis, before dedicating himself to journalism. 

Rino Tommasi - left - with Gianni Clerici at 'Che tempo che fa' in 2005 (Photogram)

Boxing 

He turned his passion into his profession: he took his first steps writing about sports for The messenger to then enter the sports editorial team of Tuttosport and finally of the Journal of Sport. But he also collaborated with La Repubblica, Il Gazzettino di Venezia and Il Mattino di Napoli. At the beginning of the Seventies he also founded his own magazine, 'Tennis Club'. In the meantime his career takes off boxing match organizer. He manages to bring great international boxing to the Palace di Rome, which in the 60s ousted Milan as a world location. 

Tennis

Since 1981 it becomes Director of Sports Services of the television network Channel 5, 10 years later he arrives at Tele+. On the Fininvest networks, he hosts the rotogravure 'The great boxing'. 

But the public will remember him above all for his tennis commentary conducted in pairs with a friend Gianni Clerici (died at 91 in 2022) until 2010: from Tv Koper Capodistria, the historic Italian-Slovenian broadcaster, passing through Tele+ a Sky SportsHe was awarded by the ATP in '82 and '91 as tennis journalist of the year. 

ComputeRino Statistics

Clerici called it 'ComputeRino', for his maniacal ability to remember records and statistics.'Doctor Divago' was instead the joking nickname given by Tommasi to Gianni. Irony, competence and kindness have made him an icon of sports on TV. 

Rino Tommasi with Gianni Clerici at Quelli che il calcio in 2003 (IP)