George Gross

Tennis Canada Names Media Facility George Gross Media Centre

July 14, 2008

Official unveiling to take place during Rogers Cup in Toronto

Tennis Canada announced Monday that the media facilities located at the world-class Rexall Centre in Toronto will be officially renamed The George Gross Media Centre. An unveiling ceremony will take place Tuesday, July 22 during Rogers Cup.

“It is fitting for us to honour a wonderful spirit in George Gross,” said Michael S. Downey, president and chief executive officer, Tennis Canada. “The Baron (Gross) was a friend to Canadian tennis, loved the sport with unwavering passion and was a man of extreme dedication to his family. His character was unique and his writing memorable. Together with international media and his loved ones, we will celebrate a magnificent life.”

Gross defected himself from Czechoslovakia in 1949 and started a career with the Toronto Telegram in 1959. The paper stopped production in 1971 and so he moved to the Toronto Sun as sports editor the same year. He was loyal to the newspaper right up to the day he died. Over a colourful career, Gross would cover nine Olympic Games, 17 Wimbledon tournaments, decades worth of Rogers Cup events and numerous other international sporting spectacles. He was the only North American journalist to ever be named to the Olympic Order and was inducted into five separate halls of fame.

Gross passed away March 21, 2008 after suffering a heart attack at his Etobicoke home. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, son George and daughter Elizabeth (Teddy).