Throughout his professional tennis career, Fish captured six ATP Tour singles titles and advanced to the finals of four ATP Masters 1000 events—including Cincinnati in 2003 and 2010, Indian Wells in 2008, and Montreal in 2011. His best Grand Slam performances include quarterfinal appearances at the 2007 Australian Open, the 2008 U.S. Open, and the 2011 Wimbledon Championships. Fish also won a silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics, finishing runner-up to Chilean Nicolás Massú in the men’s singles final.

Background

Mardy Simpson Fish was born on December 9, 1981, in Edina, Minnesota. His father, Tom Fish, was a tennis teaching professional, while his mother, Sally, was a homemaker. He has a sister named Meredith.

Fish grew up in Vero Beach, Florida, where he attended Vero Beach High School before transferring to Boca Prep International School. In 1999, while attending the school, he lived with the family of Andy Roddick, a close friend and future doubles partner. As a junior player, Fish gained early recognition by winning local tournaments, including the Vero Beach City Championships at the age of 14. Over his professional career, Fish amassed six singles titles and eight doubles titles on the ATP Tour. His career-high ATP singles ranking was No. 7, achieved in August 2011.

Technically, Fish’s forehand was considered the weaker aspect of his game, particularly when trying to generate spin. However, he was highly regarded for his volleying skills, rarely missing when coming to the net.

Career Highlights

Fish turned professional in 2000 and quickly established himself as a competitive force. He began earning results early, capturing his first ATP doubles title in 2002 alongside Andy Roddick at the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships in Houston. In 2003, he won his maiden ATP singles title in Stockholm and reached his first Masters Series final in Cincinnati.

During the 2003 Australian Open, Fish defeated former world No. 1 Carlos Moyá in a five-set second-round match. In 2004, he made it to finals in San Jose and Halle and earned a silver medal at the Athens Summer Olympics, defeating top players Juan Carlos Ferrero and Fernando González en route to the final.

In 2005, Fish was limited to just 17 matches due to a left wrist injury that required multiple surgeries. He returned to form in 2006, winning the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships. His best Grand Slam run occurred in 2007, when he reached the Australian Open quarterfinals before losing to Andy Roddick.

Fish opened 2008 by winning the Hopman Cup alongside Serena Williams. He also reached the final at Indian Wells, defeating world No. 1 Roger Federer in the semifinals before losing to Novak Djokovic. That season, he achieved another Grand Slam quarterfinal at the U.S. Open, falling to Rafael Nadal.

In 2009, he claimed his fifth ATP doubles title with Mark Knowles and a sixth, at the ATP Masters 1000 level, with Roddick. Due to a rib injury, he withdrew from the 2009 U.S. Open. The following year, Fish won singles titles in Newport and Atlanta. He finished the season with runner-up finishes in Cincinnati (his second at the event) and Washington, D.C.

Fish began 2011 ranked No. 16 and experienced one of his most successful seasons. He reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon for the first time, defeating Tomáš Berdych before falling to Nadal. He also advanced to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open. That year, he qualified for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals and ended the season with a career-high ranking of world No. 7.