It is a sad week for the tennis fraternity as iconic Wimbledon referee Alan Mills breathed his last this Thursday. Mills has served the Australian Open committee from 1983 to 2005. He was actually the All-England Club’s referee at that time. Alan Mills’s death has truly brought a gloomy week for the ongoing Australian Open tournament. After losing this legendary referee at the age of eighty-eight, fans are expressing their sadness.

Alan Mills was a true legend in his field. He earned his famous nickname Rain Man as he could predict the weather for match calls perfectly. This was the time when Wimbledon didn’t have courts with roofs over players’ heads. Now this legendary referee’s passing away has saddened the global tennis fans.

The tennis fraternity is sad after losing their legendary Wimbledon referee Alan Mills

Recently a trusted tennis source shared on their official X (formerly Twitter) that Alan Mills had passed away. They wrote- “Sad news that Alan Mills, Tournament Referee at Wimbledon between 1983-2005, has passed away at the age of 88. Our thoughts are with his friends and family.” 

Alan Mills’s death brought sadness among many legendary tennis personalities. Billie Jean King said- “Alan was loved and respected by all who knew him. I am so pleased we were able to spend time with him at Wimbledon last year at the Last 8 Club dinner, Sending our thoughts and prayers to his family.”

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Alan Mills has been a great asset for ATP. They described this famous referee as a person of “an impeccable character and integrity”. There have been more iconic referees but Mills’s demise has brought gloominess over tennis fans as they expressed similar sadness.

Fans mourn as legendary referee Alan Mills passed away this Thursday

Alan Mills’s demise has been truly sad for many tennis fans. One fan wrote- “Alan Mills. Following Mike Dickson a sad week for tennis. God rest them.” Another fan said that Mills’s demise is one of tennis’s biggest losses this week. they expressed-“You Cannot Be Serious. The biggest losses this week have not been on the courts. Rest in Peace, Alan Mills.” People commented how this week became sad for British tennis and the whole tennis fraternity.

Tennis fans expressed their gratitude on the news- “What a shame. An iconic figure for so long. RIP.” His fans recommended others to read Mills’s autobiography to know what a beautiful person he was. They said- “Can definitely recommend y‘all to read his autobiography. Truly a beloving man!” In a nutshell, the whole tennis fraternity expressed their sadness.

Alan Mills’s demise has made the atmosphere of the Australian Open a bit gloomy with sadness. Being the legendary referee he was, his demise surely brought back many of his contributions to the sport. However, the show must go on and that is why following Mills’s old guidance, the Australian Open tournament will continue to flourish more and bring more epic moments from the sport.

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