Hubbry Logo
Mardy FishMardy FishMain
Open search
Mardy Fish
Community hub
Mardy Fish
logo
8 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Mardy Fish
Mardy Fish
Mardy Fish
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

Mardy Simpson Fish (born December 9, 1981) is an American former professional tennis player. He was a hardcourt specialist. He is one of several American tennis players who rose to prominence in the early 2000s.

Key Information

Fish won six tournaments on the main ATP Tour and reached the final of four Masters Series events: Cincinnati in 2003 and 2010, Indian Wells in 2008, and Montreal in 2011. His best results at Grand Slam tournaments are reaching the quarterfinals of the 2007 Australian Open, the 2008 US Open, and the 2011 Wimbledon Championships. At the 2004 Summer Olympic Games, Fish won the silver medal in men's singles, losing the final to Nicolás Massú.

In April 2011, Fish overtook compatriot and friend Andy Roddick to become the American No. 1 in the ATP rankings, reaching a career-high singles ranking of world No. 7 in August 2011.[1] He then played in the year-end tournament for the only time in his career. He retired after the 2015 US Open.[2] In January 2019, Fish replaced Jim Courier as captain of the United States Davis Cup team.[3]

Early life

[edit]

Fish is the son of a tennis teaching professional and a housewife, Tom and Sally Fish. He was born in Edina, Minnesota. In 1984 a Minneapolis TV station ran a profile of Fish, at the age of two, hitting tennis balls from the baseline over the net. In 1986, Fish's family moved to Vero Beach, Florida. He attended Vero Beach High School for tenth grade, then moved to Boca Prep in Boca Raton, Florida, for his junior and senior years of high school. He, Andy Roddick, and Jesse Levine all attended Boca Prep International School.[4] During 1999, he lived with Roddick's family, and the two played on the same tennis and basketball teams.[1]

Tennis career

[edit]

Juniors

[edit]

As a junior, Fish compiled a 58–25 singles win–loss record (32–19 in doubles), reaching as high as No. 14 in the world in 1999 (and No. 19 in doubles).[citation needed]

2000–2005

[edit]

Fish turned professional in 2000 at the age of 18. He spent his first few years as a pro playing in the Challenger and Futures circuits. He earned his first title on the ATP Tour in 2002 playing doubles in the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships in Houston, Texas, with Andy Roddick.

Fish's career improved significantly in 2003, when he won his first ATP singles title and reached the biggest final of his career in Cincinnati. His singles victory came near the end of the season, when he defeated Robin Söderling to win the Stockholm Open in Stockholm, Sweden. In addition, he defeated fifth-seeded and former world no. 1 Carlos Moyà at the 2003 Australian Open in the second round, 3–6, 7–6, 6–4, 4–6, 6–2. He finished the year ranked no. 20 in the world.

Fish played well in 2004, reaching the finals at the SAP Open in San Jose, California and in the Gerry Weber Open in Halle, Germany. At the 2004 Summer Olympics, Fish earned a silver medal having defeated Juan Carlos Ferrero and Fernando González to reach the final. He lost the final in five sets to Chilean Nicolás Massú.

In 2005, Fish injured his left wrist. It eventually required two surgeries, and as a result, he played just 17 matches in the year.

2006

[edit]

Fish was awarded a wildcard in April into the US Men's Claycourt Championships. He won the tournament, defeating eighth seed Juan Mónaco, Rainer Schüttler, Vince Spadea, Tommy Haas, and Jürgen Melzer in the final 3–6, 6–4, 6–3.

At Wimbledon, Fish signaled his return to professional status as he reached the third round, defeating fellow American Robby Ginepri and Dutch player Melle van Gemerden. The night prior to his third-round match, he suffered from food poisoning. He could play only one set before retiring against Georgian Irakli Labadze.

2007

[edit]

Fish began 2007 by achieving his best finish at a Grand Slam. Fish reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, losing to his old roommate and doubles partner, Andy Roddick. Fish made waves on the first day of the tournament by knocking off Ivan Ljubičić, the fourth seed, and had an easy win in the third round when his heavily favoured opponent Wayne Arthurs retired in the opening set. Fish had few problems in his first four matches, but lost in straight sets to Roddick. As a result, he moved up by 17 places in the ATP rankings.

Fish at Roland Garros

2008

[edit]

Fish started off 2008 quite well at the Hopman Cup, an exhibition event in Perth, Western Australia. Partnering with Serena Williams, he won the title. Williams was ill and arrived after the start of the event, but Meghann Shaughnessy filled in for the first match. Fish won against Indian Rohan Bopanna and Australian Peter Luczak, and received a walkover from Czech Tomáš Berdych. Although Fish lost the first doubles match, he and Williams were undefeated in two mixed doubles matches. They qualified as undefeated for the final, where they faced top-seeded Serbians Novak Djokovic and Jelena Janković. Although Fish lost in singles against Djokovic, the Americans again won the mixed doubles match to win the title.

Fish fell to Jarkko Nieminen in the third round of the Australian Open after a code violation caused him to lose his composure.

Fish then went on to make a quarterfinal showing at the 2008 Delray Beach International Tennis Championships, before losing to long-time friend and wild-card entry Robby Ginepri.

At the Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, California, Fish defeated world no. 1 Roger Federer in the semifinals in what Fish described as "a great win,"[5] after failing to beat the Swiss player in five previous matches. However, Fish lost in the final to Novak Djokovic, the third seed.

At the French Open, Fish lost in the second round to 25th-seeded Lleyton Hewitt with Fish committing 58 unforced errors, compared to Hewitt's twelve.[6]

At Wimbledon, Fish lost in the first round to eighth-seeded Richard Gasquet.[7]

At the US Open, Fish reached the quarterfinals, before losing to Rafael Nadal.

2009

[edit]
Fish at Delray Beach

Fish won his fifth doubles title, partnering Mark Knowles of the Bahamas at the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships in Memphis. The next week, ranked as the top seed, he won his third singles title at the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships against first-time finalist Evgeny Korolev.

In the 2009 BNP Paribas Open, Fish received a first-round bye, only to be eliminated in the second round by unseeded Frenchman Jérémy Chardy. However, he captured his sixth doubles title and first ATP Masters Series 1000 title with partner Andy Roddick.

In April, Fish played in the 2009 U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships, but was knocked out in the first round by Björn Phau of Germany. He then played in the 2009 Rome Masters, where he lost in the second round to Fernando Verdasco.

Fish advanced to the third round in Wimbledon men's singles, where he fell to Novak Djokovic in straight sets. In doubles, he and partner James Blake advanced to the semifinals, before losing to the defending and eventual champions Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjić.

In July, Fish competed in the Davis Cup against Croatia, losing to Marin Čilić in five sets.

On August 30, Fish withdrew from the 2009 US Open, where he was seeded 25th, citing a rib injury.[8]

2010

[edit]

Fish began 2010 by winning the SAP Open in San Jose with doubles partner Sam Querrey. The pair defeated Benjamin Becker and Leonardo Mayer, 7–6, 7–5, in the final. With this win, Fish improves to 7–1 lifetime in ATP World Tour doubles finals.[2] On March 27, Fish knocked his second round opponent Andy Murray out of the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, Florida, in straight sets[9] On June 10, Fish played Andy Murray again in the third round of the Queen's tournament in London. Fish won the first set 6–4, but lost the second 6–1. However, during the third set, Fish was leading 3–0, Murray then brought it back to 3–3. Fish then complained to the umpire that it was too dark, and he then walked off the court without talking to Murray. Murray stayed on the court for a few minutes after the incident and said, "He only complained because I was gaining momentum", and "He wouldn't have complained when he was 3–0 up." The following day, Fish went on to win the third and final set in a 6–4, 1–6, 7–6 victory. He faced Michaël Llodra in the quarterfinals and Feliciano López in the semifinals to reach the final. He lost to compatriot Sam Querrey to finish as runner-up.

At Wimbledon, he lost in the second round to Florian Mayer, 6–7, 6–3, 6–4, 6–4.[10] After Wimbledon, he participated in the last grass-court event of the year, the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships in Newport. He won his fourth title, and first on grass, over Belgian Olivier Rochus in three sets.[11] As a result, his ranking jumped up to the top 50 at 49.[1] He proceeded to win a second straight title, which was also his second of the year and first on hard courts, at the Atlanta Tennis Championships. It was the first tournament in Atlanta in over a decade, and in the semifinal and final rounds, Fish defeated Andy Roddick (whom he had not beaten in eight consecutive career meetings), who was the top seed, and John Isner, who played collegiate tennis for nearby University of Georgia.[12]

In Fish's return to the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters in Cincinnati, he advanced over former world no. 6 Gilles Simon, over world no. 8 Fernando Verdasco, over former world no. 7 Richard Gasquet, and over world no. 4 Murray to reach the semifinals, where he defeated former world no. 1 Andy Roddick, 4–6, 7–6, 6–1. He was edged by world no. 2 Roger Federer, 6–7, 7–6, 6–4, in the final, but jumped into the top 25 in the world rankings.[13]

2011

[edit]

Fish opened his season at the 2011 Brisbane International, falling in the second round to Stepanek, 3–6, 1–6. Fish then fell in the second round to Tommy Robredo, 6–1, 3–6, 3–6, 3–6, at the 2011 Australian Open.

He made the semifinals at his next two tournaments; 2011 Delray Beach International Tennis Championships, losing to resurging, eventual champion Juan Martín del Potro, and at the 2011 Regions Morgan Keegan Championships losing to fast-rising Canadian youngster Milos Raonic in three sets.

After a first-round bye in the 2011 BNP Paribas Open, he fell in the second round again to Milos Raonic, 5–7, 4–6. At the 2011 Sony Ericsson Open, Fish found some rich vein of form, collecting wins over Julien Benneteau, Richard Gasquet, and notably reached the quarterfinals by winning against Juan Martín del Potro, 7–5, 7–6, who only a few weeks earlier had defeated Fish in Delray Beach. By defeating del Potro and reaching the quarterfinals in Miami, Mardy Fish overtook Andy Roddick as the highest-ranked American player on the tour. Fish's campaign continued, as he upset ATP world no. 6 David Ferrer, 7–5, 6–2, before falling to world no. 2 Novak Djokovic in the semifinals of the Sony Ericsson Open. He entered the top 10 for the first time on April 18, despite not playing, because Fernando Verdasco did not defend his Monte Carlo points.

Fish reached the third round of the 2011 French Open, his best result at the tournament so far. He was beaten by Gilles Simon, 3–6, 4–6, 2–6.

Fish reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon for the first time, after beating the 2010 finalist Tomáš Berdych in straight sets. He lost to world no. 1 Rafael Nadal, 6–3, 6–3, 5–7, 6–4. At the 2011 Farmers Classic on July 31, 2011, Fish faced Ernests Gulbis for the title, having defeated fellow American teenager Ryan Harrison in the semifinals. He finished runner-up to Gulbis, 7–5, 4–6, 4–6. This dropped him to a 6–13 mark in ATP World Tour finals. The following week, he withdrew from Washington, D.C., citing a heel injury sustained during the Farmers Classic final.

In August at the 2011 Rogers Cup, Fish reached his fourth Masters series final, defeating Feliciano López, Ernests Gulbis, Stanislas Wawrinka, and Janko Tipsarević, 6–3, 6–4, in the semifinal. In the final, Fish faced world no. 1 Novak Djokovic, who was looking to extend his season record to 53–1. He lost to Djokovic, 2–6, 6–3, 4–6, in the final, saving three match points to come up from 0–40 in the final game. Fish rose to a career-high ranking of no. 7.

Fish continued his impressive run on the American hard courts with a comfortable 6–0, 6–2 victory in the second round of the 2011 Western & Southern Open against former world no. four Nikolay Davydenko. In the quarterfinal, he defeated Rafael Nadal, 6–3, 6–4. This was Fish's first win against Nadal. He faced world no. 4 Andy Murray in the semifinal. Fish lost, 3–6, 6–7, after a thrilling second-set tiebreak. In the 2011 US Open, he advanced to the fourth round by beating German Tobias Kamke and qualifier Malek Jaziri in straight sets in the first two rounds, and South African Kevin Anderson in straight sets with two tiebreakers in the third round. Fish was subsequently eliminated in the fourth round of the tournament by world no. 11 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

He reached the semifinals in Tokyo in October, defeating Ryan Harrison, Ernests Gulbis, and Bernard Tomic, before falling to Rafael Nadal.

He played for the first time in the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, but was eliminated in the round-robin stage.

2012

[edit]

Fish went down in the second round of the 2012 Australian Open to Colombian Alejandro Falla. He made it to the third round of Indian Wells, before being defeated by Australian Matthew Ebden.

He reached the quarterfinals in Miami, but was defeated by Juan Mónaco, 1–6, 3–6.[14] Citing fatigue, he did not play any of the European clay-court season and withdrew from the 2012 French Open.[15] What he did not tell the media until later is that immediately after his last match in Miami, he was taken to the hospital with severe cardiac arrhythmia. On May 23, he underwent a cardiac catheter ablation in Los Angeles to correct faulty electrical connections in his heart, in which those spots were cauterized in order to prevent short circuiting. He later stated that his condition had made it hard for him to sleep, and his heart felt like it was going to burst out of his chest.[16] His condition was also very difficult mentally and emotionally, with periods when he could not stand to be alone.

Fish's first tournament back was the 2012 Wimbledon Championships, where he was seeded 10th. His run at Wimbledon was cut short when he lost to fifth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the fourth round in four sets.[17]

Fish did not compete in the 2012 Summer Olympics.[18] He instead played at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C., where he was the top seed and reached the semifinals.

In the 2012 US Open Fish was the 23rd seed. He defeated Go Soeda, Nikolay Davydenko, and Gilles Simon before withdrawing for health reasons before his fourth-round match with top seed Roger Federer.[19][20] In 2015, Fish revealed that he withdrew due to his struggles with anxiety.[21]

Fish did not play on tour for the rest of the season and announced before the end of the year that he would not play in the Australian Open.

2013–2015

[edit]

Mardy's first tournament of the 2013 season was Indian Wells in March. He received a bye to the second round and defeated qualifier Bobby Reynolds in three sets. He lost in the third round against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Fish did not play an ATP match again until Atlanta in July. In his first tournament back, he lost in the first round to Michael Russell in a hard-fought match. In Washington, D.C. the following week, he won his first match against Matthew Ebden, before being downed by Julien Benneteau. He also played doubles in this event, teaming with Radek Štěpánek and making it to the final, where he again lost to Benneteau, teamed with Nenad Zimonjić. After winning his first-round match in Winston-Salem, he retired in the third set against Jarkko Nieminen, citing heat stroke.[22] The next day, he announced that he would not be playing the US Open.[23][24]

Fish did not play on Tour during 2014, due to an anxiety disorder.[25] In June 2014 Fish had a cardiac catheter ablation operation to correct misfiring electric pulses in his heart. He made a return to competitive tennis in February 2015 at the Tennis Championship of Dallas, competing with Mark Knowles in the doubles tournament. He also received a protected ranking for the Indian Wells Masters, but lost in the first round to Ryan Harrison.[26]

Fish appeared again on tour in July 2015 in Atlanta, but again lost in the first round of singles. Playing doubles with Andy Roddick, he won his first-round match. He also won his first-round match of doubles in Washington, D.C., partnering Grigor Dimitrov, but they conceded a walkover in the second round. In Cincinnati, Fish won his first singles match since 2013 against Victor Troicki. However, he faced Andy Murray in the second round, and lost in straight sets, with a tiebreak in the second set. He also teamed with Tomáš Berdych in doubles, but they lost their first match. He announced that he would retire after the US Open. At the US Open, he defeated Marco Cecchinato in the first round. He lost in the second round in a valiant five-set battle with 18th seed and eventual quarterfinalist Feliciano López.[27]

World TeamTennis

[edit]

Fish has played nine seasons with World TeamTennis starting in 2004 when he debuted in the league with the Hartford FoxForce, followed by two seasons with the Houston Wranglers in 2005 and 2006, two seasons with the Sacramento Capitals in 2012 and 2013, a season with the Washington Kastles in 2016, and most recently, three years with the New York Empire in 2017, 2018, and 2019. It was announced that he would join the New York Empire during the 2020 WTT season that began July 12 at The Greenbrier.[28]

Equipment and playing style

[edit]

Fish endorsed the Wilson BLX Six. One 95 18 by 20 racquet with a hybrid of Wilson Natural Gut and Luxilon ALU Power strings. His grip of choice was Wilson Pro Overgrip. He wears TravisMathew apparel.[29]

His biggest weapons were his strong serve and reliable backhand, and he often won points at net with adept volleying. His most reliable shot was his two-handed backhand, which he could flatten out effectively to end points. His forehand was more inconsistent, though it improved toward the end of his career. In 2010, he dropped over 30 pounds, from 203 to 170. This enabled Fish to become much fitter, faster and maintain longer rallies.

Personal life

[edit]

Fish's father, Tom, is a tennis instructor.[30]

Fish married Stacey Gardner, a California attorney and "Briefcase Model" on NBC's Deal or No Deal, in a Jewish wedding ceremony in September 2008 (Gardner is Jewish).[31][32] Fish's friend and fellow tennis player James Blake served as groomsman.[32] He is also good friends with Andy Roddick and Bob and Mike Bryan.

Fish went to Vero Beach High School with country music star Jake Owen, with whom he remains good friends. The two have repeatedly done charity events together in Vero Beach to raise money for their favorite charities.

Fish is a fan of the Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings.[33]

Fish had a group of fans called "The Fishheads" who traveled with him and cheered him on during matches:[34]

The setting was center court at Arthur Ashe Stadium yesterday, and the crowd filled only half the seats as Mardy Fish took the court for the second match of the day. But as Fish methodically made his way through a straight-set victory, an odd, and somewhat comical, sight emerged in the otherwise sedate setting.

Perched high in the cheap seats, relatively speaking, were a raucous band of shirtless fans, each one with a letter that collectively spelled out, Go Fish. Their heads were adorned with rubber fish heads and there were fins attached to their hands that they slapped together enthusiastically for each point scored by Fish.

Fish is regarded as one of the best celebrity golfers. He is annually among the favorites at the American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe, winning the tournament in 2020 and 2024.[35] He won the Diamond Resorts Invitational in Orlando in both 2016 and 2018. In 2022, Fish received a sponsor exemption to play in the 3M Open, a PGA Tour event in his home state of Minnesota.[36] In 2023 at the American Century Championship, Fish finished second to star basketball player Stephen Curry. On the final hole, a fan heckled Fish while hitting his tee shot, who apparently had money on Curry to win the tournament.[37]

As part of the 2021 Netflix docuseries Untold: Breaking Point, Fish shared his story about struggling with anxiety and depression.[38][39]

Significant finals

[edit]

Olympic Games

[edit]

Singles: 1 (1 silver medal)

[edit]
Result Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Silver 2004 Summer Olympics Hard Chile Nicolás Massú 3–6, 6–3, 6–2, 3–6, 4–6

Masters 1000 finals

[edit]

Singles: 4 (0–4)

[edit]
Result Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Loss 2003 Cincinnati Masters Hard United States Andy Roddick 6–4, 6–7(3–7), 6–7(4–7)
Loss 2008 Indian Wells Masters Hard Serbia Novak Djokovic 2–6, 7–5, 3–6
Loss 2010 Cincinnati Masters Hard Switzerland Roger Federer 7–6(7–5), 6–7(1–7), 4–6
Loss 2011 Canadian Open Hard Serbia Novak Djokovic 2–6, 6–3, 4–6

Doubles: 2 (1–1)

[edit]
Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win 2009 Indian Wells Masters Hard United States Andy Roddick Belarus Max Mirnyi
Israel Andy Ram		 3–6, 6–1, [14–12]
Loss 2011 Italian Open Clay United States Andy Roddick United States John Isner
United States Sam Querrey		 walkover

ATP career finals

[edit]

Singles: 20 (6 titles, 14 runner-ups)

[edit]
Legend
Grand Slam tournaments (0–0)
ATP World Tour Finals (0–0)
ATP World Tour Masters 1000 (0–4)
Olympic Games (0–1)
ATP World Tour 500 Series (0–0)
ATP World Tour 250 Series (6–9)
Titles by surface
Hard (4–11)
Clay (1–0)
Grass (1–3)
Carpet (0–0)
Titles by setting
Outdoor (5–12)
Indoor (1–2)
Result W–L Date Tournament Tier Surface Opponent Score
Loss 0–1 Mar 2003 Delray Beach Open, US International Hard United States Jan-Michael Gambill 0–6, 6–7(5–7)
Loss 0–2 Jun 2003 Nottingham Open, UK International Grass United Kingdom Greg Rusedski 3–6, 2–6
Loss 0–3 Aug 2003 Cincinnati Masters, US Masters Hard United States Andy Roddick 6–4, 6–7(3–7), 6–7(4–7)
Win 1–3 Oct 2003 Stockholm Open, Sweden International Hard (i) Sweden Robin Söderling 7–5, 3–6, 7–6(7–4)
Loss 1–4 Feb 2004 Pacific Coast Championships, US International Hard (i) United States Andy Roddick 6–7(13–15), 4–6
Loss 1–5 Jun 2004 Halle Open, Germany International Grass Switzerland Roger Federer 0–6, 3–6
Loss 1–6 Aug 2004 Olympic Games, Greece Olympics Hard Chile Nicolás Massú 3–6, 6–3, 6–2, 3–6, 4–6
Win 2–6 Apr 2006 U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships, US International Clay Austria Jürgen Melzer 3–6, 6–4, 6–3
Loss 2–7 Aug 2007 Connecticut Open, US International Hard United States James Blake 5–7, 4–6
Loss 2–8 Mar 2008 Indian Wells Masters, US Masters Hard Serbia Novak Djokovic 2–6, 7–5, 3–6
Loss 2–9 Aug 2008 Connecticut Open, US International Hard Croatia Marin Čilić 4–6, 6–4, 2–6
Loss 2–10 Feb 2009 Pacific Coast Championships, US 250 Series Hard (i) Czech Republic Radek Štěpánek 6–3, 4–6, 2–6
Win 3–10 Mar 2009 Delray Beach Open, US 250 Series Hard Russia Evgeny Korolev 7–5, 6–3
Loss 3–11 Jun 2010 Queen's Club Championships, UK 250 Series Grass United States Sam Querrey 6–7(3–7), 5–7
Win 4–11 Jul 2010 Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, US 250 Series Grass Belgium Olivier Rochus 5–7, 6–3, 6–4
Win 5–11 Jul 2010 Atlanta Open, US 250 Series Hard United States John Isner 4–6, 6–4, 7–6(7–4)
Loss 5–12 Aug 2010 Cincinnati Masters, US Masters 1000 Hard Switzerland Roger Federer 7–6(7–5), 6–7(1–7), 4–6
Win 6–12 Jul 2011 Atlanta Open, US (2) 250 Series Hard United States John Isner 3–6, 7–6(8–6), 6–2
Loss 6–13 Jul 2011 Los Angeles Open, US 250 Series Hard Latvia Ernests Gulbis 7–5, 4–6, 4–6
Loss 6–14 Aug 2011 Canadian Open, Canada Masters 1000 Hard Serbia Novak Djokovic 2–6, 6–3, 4–6

Doubles: 11 (8 titles, 3 runner-ups)

[edit]
Legend
Grand Slam tournaments (0–0)
ATP World Tour Finals (0–0)
ATP World Tour Masters 1000 (1–1)
ATP World Tour 500 Series (2–2)
ATP World Tour 250 Series (5–0)
Titles by surface
Hard (5–2)
Clay (2–1)
Grass (1–0)
Titles by setting
Outdoor (5–2)
Indoor (3–1)
Result W–L Date Tournament Tier Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win 1–0 Apr 2002 U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships, US International Clay United States Andy Roddick United States Jan-Michael Gambill
United States Graydon Oliver 		6–4, 6–4
Win 2–0 Feb 2004 Pacific Coast Championships, US International Hard (i) United States James Blake United States Rick Leach
United States Brian MacPhie 		6–2, 7–5
Win 3–0 Apr 2004 U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships, US (2) International Clay United States James Blake United States Rick Leach
United States Brian MacPhie 		6–3, 6–4
Loss 3–1 Feb 2006 U.S. National Indoor Tennis Championships, US Intl. Gold Hard (i) United States James Blake South Africa Chris Haggard
Croatia Ivo Karlović 		6–0, 5–7, [5–10]
Win 4–1 Jul 2008 Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, US International Grass United States John Isner India Rohan Bopanna
Pakistan Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi 		6–4, 7–6(7–1)
Win 5–1 Feb 2009 U.S. National Indoor Tennis Championships, US 500 Series Hard (i) The Bahamas Mark Knowles United States Travis Parrott
Slovakia Filip Polášek 		7–6(9–7), 6–1
Win 6–1 Mar 2009 Indian Wells Masters, US Masters 1000 Hard United States Andy Roddick Belarus Max Mirnyi
Israel Andy Ram 		3–6, 6–1, [14–12]
Win 7–1 Feb 2010 Pacific Coast Championships, US (2) 250 Series Hard (i) United States Sam Querrey Germany Benjamin Becker
Argentina Leonardo Mayer 		7–6(7–3), 7–5
Win 8–1 Aug 2010 Washington Open, US 500 Series Hard The Bahamas Mark Knowles Czech Republic Tomáš Berdych
Czech Republic Radek Štěpánek 		4–6, 7–6(9–7), [10–7]
Loss 8–2 May 2011 Italian Open, Italy Masters 1000 Clay United States Andy Roddick United States John Isner
United States Sam Querrey 		Walkover
Loss 8–3 Aug 2013 Washington Open, US 500 Series Hard Czech Republic Radek Štěpánek France Julien Benneteau
Serbia Nenad Zimonjić 		6–7(5–7), 5–7

Performance timeline

[edit]
Key
W  F  SF QF #R RR Q# P# DNQ A Z# PO G S B NMS NTI P NH
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (P#) preliminary round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (Z#) Davis/Fed Cup Zonal Group (with number indication) or (PO) play-off; (G) gold, (S) silver or (B) bronze Olympic/Paralympic medal; (NMS) not a Masters tournament; (NTI) not a Tier I tournament; (P) postponed; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.

Singles

[edit]
Tournament 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 SR W–L
Grand Slam tournaments
Australian Open A A 2R 3R 1R 2R A QF 3R 3R 1R 2R 2R A A A 0 / 10 14–10
French Open A Q1 Q1 1R A 1R A A 2R 1R 2R 3R A A A A 0 / 6 4–6
Wimbledon A 1R Q1 3R 2R A 3R 1R 1R 3R 2R QF 4R A A A 0 / 10 15–10
US Open 1R 1R 2R 2R 2R 1R 2R 2R QF A 4R 4R 4R* A A 2R 0 / 12 19–12
Win–loss 0–1 0–2 2–2 5–4 2–3 1–3 3–2 5–3 7–4 4–3 5–4 10–4 7–2 0–0 0–0 1–1 0 / 38 52–38
ATP World Tour Finals
Tour Finals Did not qualify RR DNQ 0 / 1 0–3
Olympic Games
Summer Olympics A Not Held F-S Not Held A Not Held A Not Held 0 / 1 5–1
ATP World Tour Masters 1000
Indian Wells Masters A 2R 1R A 4R 2R 3R 2R F 2R 2R 2R 3R 3R A 1R 0 / 13 15–13
Miami Masters 2R A 2R 3R 2R 2R 2R A 1R 2R 4R SF QF A A A 0 / 11 16–11
Monte Carlo Masters A A A 1R A A A A A A A A A A A A 0 / 1 0–1
Rome Masters A A A 2R A A A 1R 2R 2R A 3R A A A A 0 / 5 5–5
Hamburg Masters A A A 1R A A A 1R 1R Not Masters Series 0 / 3 0–3
Madrid Masters A A A 3R 2R A 2R 1R 2R 2R 2R 1R A A A A 0 / 8 7–8
Canada Masters A A A 1R A A A A 1R A A F QF A A A 0 / 4 6–4
Cincinnati Masters 1R Q2 Q1 F 1R A 2R 1R 1R A F SF QF 1R A 2R 0 / 11 18–11
Shanghai Masters Not Masters Series A A 2R A A A A 0 / 1 0–1
Paris Masters A A A 1R 2R A Q1 2R A A A 3R A A A A 0 / 4 3–4
Win–loss 1–2 1–1 1–2 10–8 4–5 2–2 5–4 1–6 8–7 2–4 10–4 14–8 9–4 1–2 0–0 1–2 0 / 61 70–61
Career statistics
Titles 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 6
Finals 0 0 0 4 3 0 1 1 2 2 4 3 0 0 0 0 20
Year-end ranking 305 141 84 20 37 225 47 39 24 55 16 8 27 373 NR 423 $7,392,041

*Fish withdrew from the 2012 US Open prior to his fourth-round match (not counted as a loss)

Doubles

[edit]

Current through the 2012 ATP World Tour Finals.

Tournament 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 SR W–L
Grand Slam tournaments
Australian Open 1R 1R QF 2R QF 0 / 5 7–5
French Open 2R 2R 0 / 2 2–2
Wimbledon 1R SF 1R 0 / 3 4–3
US Open 3R 2R 1R 2R 3R 0 / 5 6–5
Win–loss 2–2 2–3 0–2 0–0 3–1 1–1 1–1 0–0 7–2 3–3 0 / 15 19–15

Wins over top-10 players

[edit]
Season 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2015 Total
Wins 0 1 0 4 3 0 0 2 4 1 5 3 1 0 0 24
# Player Rank Event Surface Rd Score
2001
1. Sweden Thomas Enqvist 9 Scottsdale, United States Hard 2R 6–2, 5–7, 6–4
2003
2. Spain Carlos Moyá 5 Sydney, Australia Hard 2R 7–6(7–4), 4–6, 6–4
3. Spain Carlos Moyá 5 Australian Open, Melbourne, Australia Hard 2R 3–6, 7–6(10–8), 6–4, 4–6, 6–2
4. United States Andy Roddick 6 Delray Beach, United States Hard 1R 7–6(7–4), 4–3, ret.
5. Germany Rainer Schüttler 8 Cincinnati, United States Hard SF 7–6(7–4), 7–6(8–6)
2004
6. United States Andre Agassi 5 San Jose, United States Hard (i) SF 5–7, 6–4, 6–2
7. Germany Rainer Schüttler 8 Halle, Germany Grass SF 6–4, 4–6, 7–6(7–4)
8. Spain Juan Carlos Ferrero 7 Summer Olympics, Athens, Greece Hard 2R 4–6, 7–6(7–5), 6–4
2007
9. Croatia Mario Ančić 9 Auckland, New Zealand Hard 2R 6–4, 6–4
10. Croatia Ivan Ljubičić 4 Australian Open, Melbourne, Australia Hard 1R 4–6, 7–6(7–2), 6–4, 6–4
2008
11. Russia Nikolay Davydenko 4 Indian Wells, United States Hard 3R 6–3, 6–2
12. Argentina David Nalbandian 7 Indian Wells, United States Hard QF 6–3, 6–7(5–7), 7–6(7–4)
13. Switzerland Roger Federer 1 Indian Wells, United States Hard SF 6–3, 6–2
14. United States James Blake 9 US Open, New York, United States Hard 3R 6–3, 6–3, 7–6(7–4)
2009
15. Argentina Juan Martín del Potro 7 San Jose, United States Hard (i) QF 6–3, 6–4
2010
16. United Kingdom Andy Murray 3 Miami, United States Hard 2R 6–4, 6–4
17. United Kingdom Andy Murray 4 Queen's Club, London, United Kingdom Grass 3R 6–4, 1–6, 7–6(7–2)
18. United States Andy Roddick 9 Atlanta, United States Hard SF 7–6(7–5), 6–3
19. Spain Fernando Verdasco 8 Cincinnati, United States Hard 2R 7–6(7–1), 7–6(7–4)
20. United Kingdom Andy Murray 4 Cincinnati, United States Hard QF 6–7(7–9), 6–1, 7–6(7–5)
2011
21. Spain David Ferrer 6 Miami, United States Hard QF 7–5, 6–2
22. Czech Republic Tomáš Berdych 7 Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom Grass 4R 7–6(7–5), 6–4, 6–4
23. Spain Rafael Nadal 2 Cincinnati, United States Hard QF 6–3, 6–4
2012
24. Argentina Juan Mónaco 10 Toronto, Canada Hard 3R 2–6, 6–1, 6–4

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Mardy Fish

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Mardy Fish, full name Mardy Simpson Fish, is an American former player known for his baseline game and powerful serve, who turned professional in 2000 and retired in 2015 after a career marked by a peak ranking of world No. 7 and notable achievements including an Olympic silver medal. Born on December 9, 1981, in , Fish moved to , at age four, where he developed his tennis skills alongside future rival at Boca Prep high school. Standing at 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 meters) and weighing 180 pounds (82 kg) during his playing days, Fish was a specialist who relied on a strong two-handed and consistent groundstrokes. Fish's breakthrough came in the early 2000s, highlighted by a silver medal in men's doubles at the 2004 Olympics partnering with Roddick, and he steadily climbed the rankings, reaching the quarterfinals of the , the 2008 US Open, and the . His peak performance year was 2011, when he achieved a career-high ranking of No. 7 on August 15 and became the top-ranked American player, surpassing Roddick. During this period, Fish secured six ATP singles titles, including victories at the 2010 Atlanta Tennis Championships and 2011 Delray Beach International Tennis Championships, and reached finals in four ATP Masters 1000 events such as (2003, 2010), Indian Wells (2008), and (2011). Later in his career, Fish openly discussed his struggles with exacerbated by heart issues, which led to withdrawals from major matches, including the 2012 US Open against . These health challenges culminated in his retirement announcement during the 2015 US Open at age 33, after which he has advocated for awareness in sports. Post-retirement, Fish has remained involved in through and events, including serving as U.S. Davis Cup captain from 2019 to 2023, while pursuing interests like and family life with his wife, Stacey Gardner, and their two children.

Early life and junior career

Early life

Mardy Fish was born on December 9, 1981, in , to Tom Fish, a tennis teaching professional, and Sally Fish, a . He has a younger sister named Meredith. Influenced by his father's profession, Fish was introduced to at a very young age, hitting balls on the court as early as two years old and developing an initial interest in the sport through family play rather than formal competition. In 1985, at the age of four, the Fish family relocated from to , where Tom continued his work as a tennis coach, providing better opportunities for Mardy's emerging athletic pursuits. Fish received his early education in Edina before the move and later attended schools in Florida, including , where he balanced academics with his growing involvement in sports like and .

Junior career

Fish began his junior tennis career in Vero Beach, Florida, following his family's relocation there at age four to access better training facilities in the tennis hub of the state. He attended for his first three years before transferring to Boca Prep International School in Boca Raton for his senior year in 1999, where he competed on the school's tennis and basketball teams while prioritizing international junior events. Fish showed strong development as a junior, emphasizing consistent baseline play honed through intensive training in . He compiled notable results on the ITF Junior Circuit, reaching a career-high singles ranking of No. 11 by the end of 1999. His standout achievement came at the 1999 USTA National Championships in , where, seeded No. 2 in boys' 18s singles, he advanced to the final by defeating No. 5 David Martin in the semifinals before losing to top seed Phillip King, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1. These successes positioned him for a smooth transition to the professional circuit in 2000.

Professional tennis career

2000–2007: Early professional years

Fish turned professional in 2000 at the age of 18, entering the qualifying draw at the US Open that year as his debut tournament on the level. His first entry into an main draw came in 2001 at the Hall of Fame Championships in , where he received a wild card but exited in the first round. Early in his career, Fish focused on building experience through Challenger events and occasional ATP appearances, often partnering with close friend in doubles. Fish faced challenges in singles during his initial years, with limited success on the main tour. In 2002, his best ATP results were quarterfinal appearances, including at the tournament. He first cracked the ATP top 100 late in 2002, ending the year ranked No. 84 after a series of consistent Challenger performances. Injuries and inconsistency hampered his progress, keeping him outside the elite levels despite flashes of potential from his solid baseline game rooted in junior training. The 2003 season marked Fish's breakthrough in singles. He reached three ATP finals that year: losing to Jan-Michael Gambill in Delray Beach, to in , and to in . Capping the year, Fish won his maiden ATP singles title at the on indoor hard courts, defeating 7–5, 3–6, 7–6(7–4) in the final for his first top-level trophy. These results elevated him to a career-high year-end ranking of No. 20, signaling his emergence as a competitive force. Doubles provided Fish with steadier success during this period, as he captured seven ATP titles from 2002 to 2007, often partnering with Roddick. Notable wins included the 2002 U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships in with Roddick, the 2003 with Jeff Morrison, and the prestigious 2004 with Roddick, defeating Wayne Arthurs and in the final. Fish also won a in men's doubles at the 2004 Olympics partnering with Roddick. Fish peaked at No. 26 in the doubles rankings in September 2004, leveraging his strong serving and court coverage to complement various partners. Fish debuted for the in 2004, contributing to the squad's advancement to the World Group final against . His participation included matches in the quarterfinals against and the decisive final, where the U.S. fell 3-2 despite strong team efforts. In 2005, Fish joined the Houston Wranglers in , adding his singles and doubles prowess to the roster alongside players like and helping the team compete in the league's regular season. Following his peak, Fish's singles form fluctuated due to injuries and motivational hurdles, with year-end rankings of No. 37 in 2004, No. 225 in 2005, No. 47 in 2006, and No. 39 in 2007. Despite these setbacks, he secured his second singles title in 2006 at the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships in and continued to rely on his baseline-oriented style, emphasizing consistency and powerful groundstrokes honed from junior days.

2008–2010: Breakthrough and consistency

Following a period of inconsistency in his early professional career, Mardy Fish experienced a breakthrough in , marked by improved focus on singles play and enhanced physical conditioning. He reached the final of the Indian Wells Masters, defeating top seed in the semifinals 6-3, 6-2 before losing to 2–6, 7–5, 3–6 in the championship match. Later that year, Fish advanced to the quarterfinals of the US Open, where he pushed world No. 1 to four sets, winning the opening set 6-3 before falling 3–6, 1–6, 4–6; this performance contributed to his year-end ranking of No. 24. In 2009, Fish continued his ascent with a title win at the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships, defeating Evgeny Korolev 7–5, 6–3 in the final to secure his third career singles trophy. He also reached the final of the Open in San Jose, losing to Radek Stepanek 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, and advanced to the quarterfinals at both Wimbledon—where he lost to Nadal in five sets 4–6, 6–4, 6–4, 7–6(8–6), 6–3—and the US Open, from which he withdrew due to an abdominal injury. These results solidified his transition to consistent top-level competition, aided in part by his prior doubles experience that sharpened his net play. Fish's progress accelerated in , bolstered by a significant fitness overhaul in which he lost 30 pounds through a strict calorie-counting regimen, dropping from 205 to 175 pounds to improve endurance and reduce injury risk. He captured two ATP titles that year: the Tennis Championships, beating 4–6, 6–4, 7–6(7–4) in the final, and the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships in Newport, defeating Ivo Karlovic 6-7(5), 7-6(7), 6-4. Fish reached the final of the Masters, defeating 6-3, 6-4 in the quarterfinals en route to a 6-7(5), 7-6(1), 6-4 defeat against Federer, and posted quarterfinal showings at the Australian Open (losing to Davydenko) and Wimbledon (losing to Djokovic). These achievements propelled him to a career-high ranking of No. 11 in August. In doubles, Fish remained selective, winning the SAP Open in San Jose with partner .

2011–2012: Career high and peak performance

In 2011, Mardy Fish achieved his career breakthrough, reaching a personal best ranking of world No. 7 on August 15 after a strong summer hard-court swing. He captured his sixth and final ATP singles title at the Tennis Championships, defeating compatriot in the final 3–6, 7–6(8–6), 6–2. Fish's improved fitness regimen, initiated in 2008, enhanced his endurance, allowing him to compete effectively in longer matches throughout the season. At the Grand Slams, he advanced to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, where he fell to in four sets 3–6, 6–7(3–7), 6–2, 6–7(6–8), and at the US Open, losing to in four sets after a competitive battle; he also reached the third round at the and the second round at the Australian Open. Fish represented the in the quarterfinals against in , where he competed in both singles rubbers, though the team ultimately fell 1–3; the doubles win by the provided the sole point. He qualified for the year-end ATP World Tour Finals for the first time, finishing the season at No. 8 in the rankings with a 43–25 record, marking his best win total to date. These results solidified Fish as the top-ranked American player, surpassing earlier in the year. The momentum carried into 2012, where Fish maintained top-10 form early on, reaching the quarterfinals at the Miami Masters before losing to Juan Monaco. He posted a 21–12 record for the year but did not claim any titles. At the US Open, Fish advanced to the fourth round, defeating in a five-set thriller, but withdrew before his match against due to . By season's end, he had accumulated six career singles titles and spent time in the top 10, though health setbacks began to impact his schedule.

2013–2015: Health issues and retirement

Following his career-high ranking of No. 7 achieved in 2011, Mardy Fish's performance declined sharply due to ongoing health challenges, beginning with a severe cardiac diagnosed in 2012 that required an procedure to correct irregular heartbeats. In 2013, the condition continued to limit his participation, as he competed in only five ATP tournaments, playing eight matches with a 3-5 record and withdrawing from all four Grand Slams, including the US Open due to persistent heart issues. His limited activity dropped his year-end ranking to No. 373. Anxiety attacks, initially triggered by the heart procedure and exacerbated by a 2012 US Open withdrawal, resurfaced intensely in 2014, leading Fish to skip the entire season with no matches played while focusing on treatment and recovery. This marked a complete hiatus from professional competition, as the disorder caused frequent panic episodes that made returning to the court untenable. Fish attempted a comeback in 2015, marking his return after 18 months away with a first-round loss at the Indian Wells Masters to , 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(4). His final Grand Slam appearance came at the US Open, where he defeated in the first round, 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-1, 6-3, before falling to in the second round, 2-6, 6-3, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3. At age 33, Fish announced his following the tournament, concluding a career that included six ATP singles titles, eight doubles titles, and over $7.4 million in prize money. During this period, Fish also participated in , playing his final seasons with the , which won the league championship in 2015.

Post-retirement activities

Davis Cup captaincy

In January 2019, Mardy Fish was appointed as the captain of the by the (USTA), succeeding who had stepped down in September 2018 after eight years in the role. Fish, a former world No. 7 who had competed in 11 ties as a player between 2002 and 2012, became the 41st captain in the competition's 120-year history. His selection marked a return to leadership for the 37-year-old retiree, who brought experience from helping the U.S. secure the title as a team member. Fish's tenure began amid a revamped format introduced in 2019, featuring a season-ending finals event in . In the inaugural finals group stage, the U.S. secured a 2-1 victory over , highlighted by Taylor Fritz's singles win and a marathon doubles triumph by and that concluded at 4:04 a.m. local time—the second-latest finish in major team tennis history—though the team failed to advance after a 0-3 loss to . The following year, the U.S. advanced to the 2021 finals with a 4-0 qualifier win over in March 2020, but the disrupted the schedule, postponing the 2020 finals and forcing adaptations including remote preparations and health protocols. Fish himself contracted in September 2022, missing the group stage in where acting captain led the team. Throughout his captaincy, Fish emphasized developing young American talents such as , Tommy Paul, , and , integrating them into ties to build depth in the post-Andy Roddick era and amid the twilight of rivals like and . He also prioritized support, drawing from his own experiences with anxiety during his playing career to foster open discussions and provide resources for players facing pressures of international competition. Under Fish, the U.S. reached the quarterfinals after a strong group stage performance, including a 2-1 win over , though they fell 0-3 to ; his role concluded mutually with the USTA in January 2023, paving the way for to take over and continue the rebuilding efforts.

Philanthropy and honors

Fish founded the Mardy Fish Children's Foundation in 2007 to provide children in Indian River County, Florida, with access to after-school programs focused on fitness, nutrition, and enrichment activities, including tennis and other sports. The foundation supports over 3,000 children annually as of 2025 through partnerships with local schools and organizations, funding initiatives that promote healthy lifestyles and educational development. Annual fundraising events, such as the Pro Circuit Tennis Tournament and the Windsor Golf Tournament in Vero Beach, sustain these efforts. Fish has leveraged his passion for , which he pursued competitively as a junior before prioritizing , to bolster foundation fundraising through hosted celebrity tournaments. Notable examples include the Windsor Golf Tournament at Sea Oaks Country Club and his participation in high-profile events like the in , where he won in 2024. These gatherings often feature celebrity guests and have helped expand the foundation's reach, with Fish's wife, Stacey, occasionally joining him at events to support the cause. In recognition of his contributions to and , Fish was inducted into the USTA Florida Hall of Fame in January 2024. That same month, the public courts at Riverside Park in Vero Beach—where he honed his skills as a junior—were renamed the Mardy Fish Courts in his honor. Post-retirement, Fish has engaged in , serving as a commentator for during major tournaments starting around 2015. He has also participated in the Grass League, a high-stakes par-3 , from 2023 to 2025, co-owning the Hollywood Hitters team and competing in events like the 2025 Summer Grind. Since retiring in 2015, Fish has become an advocate for awareness, particularly anxiety disorders, through engagements and media appearances, drawing from his own experiences to reduce stigma in sports.

Playing style and equipment

Playing style

Mardy Fish was a specialist known for his aggressive baseline game characterized by flat groundstrokes that emphasized power and depth. His was a key weapon, delivering penetrating shots with minimal spin, allowing him to dictate rallies from the back of the . Complementing this was a solid two-handed , executed with precise contact and leverage from the shoulder, which provided consistency and enabled effective counterpunching when needed. Fish's serve was a cornerstone of his game, featuring a big first delivery averaging around 120 mph with fluid pronation for added pace and placement, often reaching peaks of 144 mph. His second serve incorporated a slice variation for safety and disruption, while post-2008 improvements in net play saw him incorporate more volleys and tactics, hitting them with conviction and flat penetration to shorten points on faster surfaces. Early in his career, Fish operated as a defensive counterpuncher, relying on challenges but limited by fitness issues that hindered long rallies. Following significant of 30 pounds from approximately 200 to 170 pounds around 2009-2010, his evolved into a more offensive style, enhancing court coverage, speed, and aerobic capacity to sustain aggression throughout matches. However, he struggled on clay courts, compiling a 29-35 win-loss record compared to 223-151 on hard courts, due to his flatter strokes suiting slower, higher-bouncing surfaces less effectively. Additionally, proved a in high-stakes big matches, exacerbated by anxiety issues that occasionally impacted focus and performance.

Equipment

Throughout his professional career, Mardy Fish primarily used Wilson racquets, starting with the Impact model in the early before transitioning to the Six.One series in the mid- to better suit his evolving game and improved physical conditioning. By the late , he endorsed the Wilson Six.One 95 BLX, a 95 headsize frame extended to 27.5 inches for added reach, strung at approximately 12.9 ounces (366 grams) and customized with lead tape at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions for enhanced stability. Fish strung his racquet in a hybrid configuration, featuring Wilson Natural Gut in the mains paired with Luxilon ALU Power polyester in the crosses at around 55 pounds tension, which provided the control and spin essential to his baseline-oriented style. For apparel and footwear, Fish was sponsored by starting in 2004, before signing a four-year deal with in 2008 for clothing and shoes optimized for traction and durability during his peak years.

Personal life

Family

Mardy Fish married Stacey Gardner, a former model and attorney who appeared as a "Briefcase Model" on NBC's Deal or No Deal, on September 28, 2008, in a Jewish ceremony at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. The couple met in the mid-2000s through mutual friends in the entertainment and tennis circles. Fish and Gardner have two children: a son, Beckett Gardner Fish, born on February 8, 2014, in , and a daughter, Stella Fish, born on November 4, 2016. The family has been based in the Bel-Air neighborhood of since post-retirement, where Fish has focused on balancing professional commitments with family life. During Fish's health challenges in the early 2010s, Gardner played a key role in supporting him, including intervening during panic attacks to adjust travel plans and ensure his well-being. After his 2015 retirement from professional tennis, Fish emphasized prioritizing family time, often citing fatherhood as a positive influence on his post-career activities. The family frequently participates in recreational golf outings and tennis events, with Fish introducing his children to both sports through local clubs and charity tournaments in Los Angeles and Vero Beach, Florida.

Health challenges

Mardy Fish was diagnosed with a in early 2012, characterized by misfiring electrical signals that caused his to spike uncontrollably, reaching 170-180 beats per minute even at rest, leading to severe fatigue and that disrupted his and training. The condition, a form of originating in the atria, prompted an procedure in May 2012 in , where doctors used catheters to identify and ablate the faulty circuitry, rendering it dormant. Post-procedure, Fish managed the issue with beta-blockers to regulate his heartbeat and blood thinners to prevent clots, which limited his mobility and contributed to reduced play in 2013 as he focused on recovery. Fish's emerged in 2012, though it was exacerbated by performance pressure following his 2009 from 202 to 172 pounds, heightening performance pressure amid rising success. The disorder peaked in 2012, manifesting as debilitating panic attacks every 10-15 minutes, culminating in his withdrawal from the US Open fourth-round match against after an on-court episode during the third round. He managed the condition through and beta-blockers, which helped mitigate symptoms, though the combined crises led him to initially miss the 2012 Olympics. Fish publicly disclosed his struggles in a 2015 Players' Tribune essay titled "The Weight," detailing the psychological toll and advocating for awareness in sports. After retiring from professional tennis in 2015, Fish turned to golf as a therapeutic outlet for his mental wellness, describing it as a source of "positive stress" that allows him to compete without the overwhelming pressure of his prior career, playing recreationally and in celebrity events about once a month. He has advocated for mental health through public speaking, sharing his experiences in interviews and the 2021 Netflix documentary Untold: Breaking Point, with a 2022 Golf Digest feature highlighting how golf aided his ongoing management of anxiety. By 2016, Fish reported significant improvement in managing his health issues, attributing his progress to family support from his wife and children, a shift to a less demanding lifestyle, and regular golf, which provided structure and reduced anxiety triggers. As of 2025, Fish continues to advocate for mental health awareness, including discussions on stigma in tennis.

Career statistics

Olympic and Grand Slam results

Mardy Fish competed in the Olympics only once, at the 2004 Athens Games, where he won the silver medal in men's singles after defeating opponents including and before losing the final to , 6–3, 3–6, 2–6, 6–3, 6–4. He opted out of the 2008 Beijing Olympics to prioritize preparation for the US Open, where he achieved a career-best result at the tournament. Fish also skipped the 2012 London Olympics due to ongoing health concerns related to a heart condition, choosing instead to compete in ATP events during that period. Fish's Grand Slam career featured consistent hardcourt performances but limited success on clay and grass early on, culminating in an overall win-loss record of 52–39 across 91 main draw appearances. At the Australian Open, his best result was a quarterfinal appearance in 2007, where he fell to Tommy Robredo in five sets after upsetting higher seeds en route; his career record there stands at approximately 12–9. The French Open proved challenging due to his baseline style suiting slower surfaces less effectively, with his deepest run a third round in 2011, losing to Gilles Simon; he compiled a 9–12 record overall. On grass, Fish improved markedly after 2008, reaching the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in 2011 by defeating sixth seed before a straight-sets loss to ; his career mark was 15–10. At the US Open, leveraging his strong game, Fish advanced to the quarterfinals in 2008, upsetting ninth seed James Blake and prior to defeat by Nadal; he also reached quarterfinals in 2010 and 2012, posting a 22–13 lifetime record. Despite these deep runs, Fish never progressed beyond the quarterfinals in any major and secured no titles, though he notched several victories over top-10 players in these events, including Berdych and .

ATP Masters 1000 finals

Mardy Fish reached four ATP Masters 1000 singles finals during his career, all losses, occurring in 2003, 2008, 2010, and , which highlighted his competitive peak against top players but without securing a title at this level. These appearances came amid his rise to a career-high No. 7 ranking in , following consistent hard-court performances. In doubles, Fish competed in two Masters 1000 finals alongside , winning one and losing the other, contributing to his eight career doubles titles overall. The 2009 Indian Wells victory marked his only Masters 1000 doubles crown, while the 2011 Rome final ended in a due to Roddick's injury withdrawal.
YearTournamentCategoryPartner/OpponentResultScore
2003Cincinnati MastersSingles (Final)Loss4–6, 7–6(7–3), 7–6(7–4)
2008Indian Wells MastersSingles (Final)Loss6–2, 5–7, 6–3
2009Indian Wells MastersDoubles (Final) (partner) vs. / Win6–3, 1–6, [12–10]
2010Cincinnati MastersSingles (Final)[Roger Federer](/page/Roger Federer)Loss6–7(5–7), 7–6(7–1), 6–4
2011Italian OpenDoubles (Final) (partner) vs. / Loss
2011Singles (Final)Loss6–2, 3–6, 6–4

ATP career finals

Mardy Fish competed in 19 singles finals throughout his career, achieving a record of 6 wins and 13 losses (plus 1 Olympic final loss). His singles titles were distributed across surfaces, with four victories on hard courts ( 2003, Delray Beach 2009, 2010, 2011), one on clay ( 2006), and one on grass (Newport 2010). Fish's peak year for titles was 2010 with two wins, while 2011 saw one title () amid four finals appearances, marking his form at career-high No. 7. In , his highest-ranked opponent was , whom he faced twice in major hard-court Masters 1000 events. The following table lists all of Fish's ATP singles finals:
YearTournamentSurfaceOpponentScoreOutcome
2003Hard0–6, 6–7(5–7)Loss
2003Grass3–6, 2–6Loss
2003Cincinnati MastersHard6–4, 6–7(3–7), 6–7(4–7)Loss
2003Hard (i)7–5, 3–6, 7–6(7–4)Win
2004Pacific Coast ChampionshipsHard6–7(13–15), 4–6Loss
2004Halle OpenGrass0–6, 3–6Loss
2004Hard3–6, 6–3, 6–2, 3–6, 4–6Loss
2006U.S. Men's ChampionshipsClay3–6, 6–4, 6–3Win
2007Pilot Pen Tennis (New Haven)HardJames Blake5–7, 4–6Loss
2008Indian Wells MastersHard2–6, 7–5, 3–6Loss
2008Pilot Pen Tennis (New Haven)Hard4–6, 6–4, 2–6Loss
2009SAP OpenHard3–6, 6–4, 6–2Loss
2009HardEvgeny Korolev7–5, 6–3Win
2010Grass6–7(3–7), 5–7Loss
2010Grass5–7, 6–3, 6–4Win
2010Hard4–6, 6–4, 7–6(7–4)Win
2010Cincinnati MastersHard7–6(7–5), 6–7(1–7), 4–6Loss
2011Hard3–6, 7–6(8–6), 6–2Win
2011Hard7–5, 4–6, 4–6Loss
2011Canadian OpenHard6–2, 3–6, 6–4Loss
In doubles, Fish appeared in 11 ATP Tour finals, compiling an 8–3 record and securing eight titles across various surfaces, often partnering with fellow Americans. Notable wins included the 2002 Hall of Fame Championships with Jeff Goldstein, the 2004 with , the 2009 with Donald Young, and the 2010 Houston with . His doubles losses were fewer, including the 2005 U.S. Men's Championships in and the 2010 Masters. These achievements highlight Fish's versatility, particularly in team events early in his career.

Performance timelines

Mardy Fish's performance timelines highlight his progression in major tournaments, with peak achievements in the late and early , particularly from 2008 to when he reached multiple quarterfinals at Grand Slams and finals at ATP Masters 1000 events (career singles record: 302–219). His career was impacted by health issues, leading to withdrawals and reduced participation from 2012 to 2015. The following tables summarize his singles and doubles results at the four Grand Slams and selected ATP Masters 1000 events, using standard notations such as 1R (first round), R16 (round of 16), QF (quarterfinals), SF (semifinals), F (final), and W/O (/withdrawal). Year-end are included for context.

Singles performance timeline

YearAustralian OpenFrench OpenWimbledonUS OpenATP Masters 1000 bestYear-end ranking
2000AAA1RA—
2001AA1R1RA—
20022RAA2RA—
20033R1R3R2RF (Cincinnati)No. 117
20041RA2R3RQF (Indian Wells)No. 95
20052R1RA1R3R (multiple)No. 227
2006AA3R2R3R (Miami)No. 47
2007QFA1R2RQF (Miami)No. 39
20083R2R1RQFF (Indian Wells)No. 23
20093R1R3RASF (Cincinnati)No. 55
20101R2R2R4RF (Cincinnati)No. 16
20112R3RQF4RF (Canada)No. 8
20122RA4R4R (W/O in R16)QF (Miami)No. 27
2013AAAA2R (multiple)No. 375
2014AAAAA—
2015AAA2RANo. 423
A = did not play; SR = sets won-lost.

Doubles performance timeline

Fish achieved greater success in doubles earlier in his career, peaking at No. 26 in 2004, with notable results including a title at the 2010 Legg Mason Tennis Classic (now Washington) alongside . His doubles participation declined after 2010 due to focus on singles and health concerns. The table below focuses on Grand Slams and select Masters 1000 events.
YearAustralian OpenFrench OpenWimbledonUS OpenATP Masters 1000 bestYear-end ranking
20011RA1R1RA—
20021RAA2RA—
20032R1R1R3RQF ()No. 117
20041RAQF1RSF (Indian Wells)No. 26
20051R1R1R1R2R (multiple)No. 227
20062RA1R2RQF ()No. 47
20071R1R1R2R2R (multiple)No. 39
20081R1R1R1RQF ()No. 23
20091R1R1R1RSF (Indian Wells)No. 55
20101R1R1R2RW (Washington, non-Masters)No. 120
A = did not play. Note: Doubles data is less comprehensive post-2010, with Fish retiring from professional doubles in 2011.

Wins over top-10 players

Mardy Fish secured 24 victories over players ranked in the ATP top 10 throughout his professional , demonstrating his ability to compete at the highest level despite early struggles with consistency and injuries. These were most prominent during his peak from 2010 to 2012, a period in which he ascended to a personal-best ranking of No. 7 and became the leading American player on the tour. Fish's success against elite opponents highlighted his powerful serve and baseline steadiness, often turning matches through aggressive play and mental resilience. A notable achievement came at the 2008 Indian Wells Masters, where Fish upset three consecutive top-10 players— (No. 4), James Blake (No. 7), and (No. 1)—to reach the final, marking one of the most surprising runs of his career and his breakthrough against the world's best. His wins spanned various tournaments, including Masters 1000 events and ATP 500 titles, underscoring his versatility on faster surfaces. The following table highlights representative examples of Fish's victories over top-10 opponents, focusing on key matches from his standout years:
OpponentRankEventSurfaceRoundScore
12008 Indian Wells MastersHardSF6-3, 6-2
42008 Indian Wells MastersHardR326-3, 6-2
12008 Madrid MastersHardR326-4, 6-2
22010 Miami MastersHardR646-4, 6-4
92010 Atlanta OpenHardSF7-6(5), 6-3
82010 Cincinnati MastersHardSF4-6, 7-6(3), 6-1
62011 Miami MastersHardQF7-5, 6-2
92011 Canada MastersHardSF6-3, 6-4
12011 Cincinnati MastersHardQF6-3, 6-4

References

  1. https://www.atptour.com/en/players/mardy-fish/f339/overview
  2. https://www.theplayerstribune.com/articles/mardy-fish-us-open
  3. https://www.atptour.com/en/players/mardy-fish/f339/bio
  4. https://www.espn.com/tennis/player/results/_/id/358/mardy-fish
  5. https://www.startribune.com/mardy-fish-file/101614858
  6. https://www.itftennis.com/en/players/mardy-fish/800210289/usa/mt/S/overview/
  7. https://www.usopen.org/en_US/news/articles/2015-08-31/his_demons_mostly_behind_him_fish_takes_court_one_last_time.html
  8. https://www.atptour.com/en/players/mardy-fish/f339/titles-and-finals
  9. https://www.usta.com/en/home/pro/pro-media---news/mardy-fish-named-new-u-s--davis-cup-captain.html
  10. https://www.tennisworldusa.org/tennis/news/Tennis_Stories/38097/mardy-fish-became-father-for-the-second-time/
  11. https://www.centralmaine.com/2025/06/22/mardy-fish-wins-drive-fore-kids-golf-event/
  12. https://www.voanews.com/a/mardy-fish-riding-a-wave-of-tennis-success-99946989/173878.html
  13. https://www.onlinetennisinstruction.com/mardy-fish/
  14. https://www.teamusa.com/profiles/mardy-fish
  15. http://www.collegeandjuniortennis.com/ITFRank99.htm
  16. http://www.collegeandjuniortennis.com/USTANatl99.htm
  17. https://www.espn.com/tennis/player/_/id/358/mardy-fish
  18. https://longislandtennismagazine.com/article/mardy-fish-defend-his-title-rhode-island-hall-fame-tennis-championships-july/
  19. https://www.tennisabstract.com/cgi-bin/player.cgi?p=MardyFish
  20. https://www.sportskeeda.com/player/mardy-fish
  21. https://www.daviscup.com/en/news/flashback-2004-davis-cup-final
  22. https://wtt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/MASTER_WTTTeamsbyyearUPDATED_082318.pdf
  23. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2008/mar/24/tennis.sport
  24. https://www.tennismajors.com/atp/indian-wells-bnp-paribas-open-masters-1000-atp/march-21-2008-mardy-fish-wins-in-indian-wells-despite-hole-in-shoe-328521.html
  25. https://www.foxnews.com/story/rafael-nadal-reaches-u-s-open-semifinals-with-win-over-mardy-fish
  26. https://www.atptour.com/en/players/mardy-fish/f339/rankings-history
  27. https://www.si.com/more-sports/2011/07/25/best-three
  28. https://www.wired.com/2010/09/mardy-fish-weight-loss/
  29. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/8853818.stm
  30. https://www.tennis.com/news/articles/fish-federer-advance-to-cincinnati-final
  31. https://bleacherreport.com/articles/836554-us-open-tennis-2011-results-mardy-fish-vs-jo-wilfried-tsonga-highlights
  32. https://www.espn.com/tennis/usopen12/story/_/id/8333527/2012-us-open-mardy-fish-withdraws-roger-federer-due-health-concern
  33. https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/12459836/tennis-comeback-mardy-fish-person
  34. https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/american-mardy-fish-withdraws-from-u-s-open/
  35. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/tennis/2014/08/18/mardy-fish-anxiety-disorder-us-open/14253851/
  36. https://www.si.com/tennis/2015/03/13/mardy-fish-ryan-harrison
  37. https://www.si.com/tennis/2015/08/31/mardy-fish-us-open-anxiety-retirement
  38. https://www.usopen.org/en_US/news/articles/2015-08-06/mardy_fish_to_retire_at_2015_us_open.html
  39. https://www.mapquest.com/us/mardy-fish-childrens-foundation-387890540
  40. https://www.mardyfishchildrensfoundation.org/
  41. https://www.mardyfishchildrensfoundation.org/fundraising-tournaments/
  42. https://www.tcpalm.com/story/sports/golf/2018/01/09/mardy-fish-turning-page-tennis-golf/1017901001/
  43. https://www.mardyfishchildrensfoundation.org/fundraising-tournaments/windsor-golf-tournament-2025/
  44. https://veronews.com/2019/02/28/sea-oaks-charity-day-nets-funds-for-fish-foundation/
  45. https://www.ustaflorida.com/mardy-fish-inducted-into-usta-florida-hall-of-fame/
  46. https://www.facebook.com/mardyfishchildrensfoundation/posts/its-been-a-busy-first-two-months-of-2024-and-its-about-to-get-busierjanuary-mard/423703366701548/
  47. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/tennis/2015/08/03/mardy-fish-broadcasting-career-retire-us-open/31088483/
  48. https://grassleague.com/players/mardy-fish/
  49. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDXKgDjUzzo
  50. https://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/14/sports/tennis/mardy-fish-slims-down-and-lives-up-to-early-promise.html
  51. https://www.perfect-tennis.com/fastest-tennis-serve/
  52. https://www.tennis.com/news/articles/reflections-on-the-number-6
  53. https://www.atptour.com/en/players/mardy-fish/f339/atp-win-loss
  54. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2015/sep/02/mardy-fish-overcomes-anxiety-disorder-for-one-final-bow-at-the-us-open
  55. https://www.tennis-warehouse.com/priority1.html
  56. http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/i-have-racquet-specs-for-mardy-fish-held-his-racquet-today.1699/
  57. https://wilsontennis.wordpress.com/2011/08/15/fish-reaches-career-milestone-with-wilson-blx/
  58. http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/vs-gut-mains-and-poly-crosses.360196/page-6
  59. https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/why-did-mardy-fish-switch-to-adidas.17232/
  60. https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2008/01/16/Sponsorships-Advertising-Marketing/Names-Faces-Mardy-Fish-On-With-K-Swiss/
  61. https://www.tennis.com/news/articles/fish-hooked-mardy-fish-ties-the-knot
  62. https://www.the-independent.com/sport/tennis/fish-makes-waves-now-he-s-happy-on-the-scales-2064897.html
  63. https://www.whosdatedwho.com/dating/mardy-fish-and-stacey-gardner
  64. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/31/sports/tennis/roddick-fish-partnership-is-dashed.html
  65. https://www.foremagazine.com/profiles/reeling-in-the-years/
  66. https://thecinemaholic.com/where-is-mardy-fish-now/
  67. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/mar/14/mardy-fish-helping-to-destigmatize-mental-illness-with-return-to-tennis
  68. https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2529579-mardy-fish-bringing-unique-career-to-a-close-on-his-own-terms
  69. https://www.golfdigest.com/story/mardy-fish-tennis-anxiety-struggles-mental-wellness-how-golf-helps
  70. https://www.tcpalm.com/story/sports/golf/2022/01/18/vero-beach-native-mardy-fish-enjoys-round-golf-windsor-club/6557743001/
  71. https://www.si.com/tennis/2012/05/28/mardy-fish-heart-surgery
  72. https://www.insidetennis.com/2012/09/open-open-letter-mardy-fish/
  73. https://www.si.com/tennis/2012/04/24/mardy-fish
  74. https://www.si.com/tennis/2016/07/22/mardy-fish-tennis-retirement-golf-family
  75. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej0E8LJ91RA
  76. https://www.olympics.com/en/olympic-games/athens-2004/results/tennis/singles-men
  77. https://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/05/sports/tennis/05nadal.html
  78. https://www.si.com/tennis/2012/04/26/toss-mardy-fish-olympics
  79. https://www.pennlive.com/patriotnewssports/2011/05/mardy_fish_loses_us_without_si.html
  80. https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/13968118
  81. https://www.espn.com/tennis/usopen15/story/_/id/13565164/mardy-fish-career-ends-tough-5-set-loss-us-open
  82. https://www.jpost.com/sports/rammirnyi-beaten-by-fishroddick-in-indian-wells-final
  83. https://www.itftennis.com/en/players/mardy-fish/800210289/usa/mt/s/overview/
  84. https://www.tennisabstract.com/cgi-bin/player-classic.cgi?p=MardyFish&f=ACareerqqDUS_Openqq
  85. https://www.tennisabstract.com/cgi-bin/player-classic.cgi?p=MardyFish&f=ACareerqqDWimbledonqq
  86. https://www.tennisabstract.com/cgi-bin/player-classic.cgi?p=MardyFish&f=ACareerqqDAustralian_Openqq
  87. https://www.tennisabstract.com/cgi-bin/player-classic.cgi?p=MardyFish&f=ACareerqqDRoland_Garrosqq
  88. https://www.montereyherald.com/general-news/20080323/fish-upsets-federer-in-indian-wells-semifinal/
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.