Mardy Fish Bringing Unique Career to a Close on His Own Terms

Mardy Fish arrived on the ATP Tour in a class of American men's tennis players that featured Andy Roddick, James Blake and Robby Ginepri. Fish lagged behind his contemporaries until a late-career surge that saw him climb as high as No. 7, surpassing Roddick as the No. 1-ranked American male.

Then, bam. It all came crashing down.

This week, Fish announced (via Twitter) that he will close out his career at this year's U.S. Open. Granted protected ranking status, Fish enters the main draw, despite being ranked No. 1035. Fish also plans to play warm-up tournaments in Atlanta and Cincinnati:

He's played so sporadically in the past year that there's no way of knowing what type of game Fish will bring to the U.S. Open. But at least he gets a chance to end his career on his terms instead of the frightening exit he made in 2012.

Fish left the game three years ago after being diagnosed with a heart ailment and anxiety disorder. His heart ailment, a form of arrhythmia, produced rapid heart beats that jolted Fish from his sleep. He once told USA Today, per Douglas Robson, "It felt like my heart was going to jump out of my chest." To complicate matters, the anxiety disorder produced similar symptoms.

Professional tennis players embody health and fitness. Yet their careers are so fragile that any physical or emotional setback can send them tumbling down the rankings. 

The double-whammy of physical and psychological issues left Fish questioning his sanity. He explained to ESPN Tennis Editor Matt Wilansky that, "Your heart starts racing to the point where you think it's going to stop."

An article in the Guardian detailed Fish's panic attack aboard a flight home from New York as it prepared for takeoff. According to the Guardian, the attack was so bad, Fish's wife had to ask the flight crew to return to the gate so that he could get off the plane.  

Fish told USA Today reporter Douglas Robson, "I was basically getting anxiety attacks every 30 minutes of the day at that time. That was the worst of it. They would just never stop. ... If I never had any mental-health issues, there's no doubt in my mind I'd still be playing."

Last month, Fish spoke with reporters during a U.S. Open media conference (via ASAP Sports) about his struggles and his desire to write a happy ending to the final chapter in his career:

"

Still sort of fighting the battle of the anxiety disorder, trying to get a firm grip on how I feel after matches. ...

Obviously it's no secret. I'd love to go back to the US Open, where sort of it all came crashing down for me in 2012, and sort of conquer that place. By "conquer," I mean just get back out on the court there. I have a lot of demons from that place.

"

Although Fish began his career with high expectations, he floundered up and down the ATP's Top 100 much of his career. He won a silver medal at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. However, Fish had difficulty getting over squandering a two-set lead over Nicolas Massu of Chile in the gold-medal match. He would skip Beijing and London. 

After dropping 30 pounds, Fish went on a late-career run that saw him earn a spot in the 2011 ATP World Tour Finals. He was part of the 2012 U.S. Davis Cup team that defeated Switzerland, with Federer and Stan Wawrinka representing the Swiss. The 2012 contest was in Switzerland, on clay. 

At the 2012 U.S. Open, after receiving treatment for his heart problems, Fish won a tough five-set match against Gilles Simon that lasted for more than three hours and ended after 1 a.m. He was slated to face Federer in the fourth round. Federer had won Wimbledon and an Olympic silver medal that summer. But Fish withdrew just hours before the match, reportedly for medical reasons. 

While away from the game, Fish tried his luck at semi-professional golf. However, his tennis game was never quite the same. After 18 months away, Fish tried a comeback at Indian Wells. He lost to Ryan Harrison in the first round. 

Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

He returns now, seemingly at peace. While he never captured a Grand Slam title, Fish enjoyed a successful career that included seven ATP titles and $7.3 million in prize money. Life off the court has been good, too. He hit the spouse lotto with wife Stacey Gardner, a model with a law degree. They have a son, Beckett, who was born last year. 

Fish admits to feeling most comfortable on the hard courts, in sweltering summer heat, similar to conditions he grew up with in Florida. His senior year he transferred from Vero Beach to Boca Prep, in Boca Raton, where he played on the basketball and tennis teams with Roddick.

The two remained friends. Roddick has decided to come out of retirement to accompany his friend in doubles on this brief farewell tour. “We’ve been friends for a long time. We just wanted to play together one last time. I wanted to play with my friend and kind of share in his comeback a little bit," Roddick told Michelle Kaufman of the Miami Herald (via conference call).

By going out at the U.S. Open, Fish will get a proper send-off. How brave of Fish to finish his career facing his fears in a setting where he once panicked. Hopefully he'll be granted a spot on Arthur Ashe, where he can soak in applause, feel the love of thousands and walk away from the game, unafraid.