Nothing fishy with Mardy
FOR the past two weekends, I’ve watched three of Untold ’s Netflix documentaries, the first one, Untold: Malice at
The Palace then came Untold: Deal with The Devil then last weekend was, Untold: Breaking Point, which was on former world No. 1 Mardy Fish of the US and how he dealt with mental health issue which was severe anxiety disorder.
Fish tells it as it is and he doesn’t hold back neither does his family, his wife Stacey and his close friend, former world No. 1 and 2003 US Open champion Andy Roddick.
The documentary tells about Mardy’s journey from his
days at Saddlebrook Academy, which, according to its web site, Saddlebrook.com “The combination of tranquility, privacy and exclusivity on property coupled with the energy of the world’s top players training to reach their goals of ATP [Association of Tennis Professionals] and WTA [Women’s Tennis Association] success has made Saddlebrook a historic and legendary training ground.
“In fact, guests have enjoyed watching some of the world’s best players during their training at Saddlebrook, including the likes of Jim Courier, Pete Sampras, Jennifer Capriati, Martina Hingis, James Blake, [Mardy] Fish, Andy Roddick, Jack Sock, Bob and Mike Bryan, Alexander Zverev, Mischa Zverev and John Isner,” until capping off his career playing doubles with buddy Andy Roddick.
As Roddick retires after playing in his last US Open, everything came to a head for Fish when he decided not to push through with his fourth round match at the 2012 US Open against Roger Federer.
The part of the documentary where Fish is curled up at home in a dark place makes you feel you’re right there with him like a ghost. You can see him but he can’t see you. He was seeing a child psychologist every week for seven days. He just kept battling and battling as if coming back from being down two sets to none in a five-setter in a Grand Slam final.
I think he was on his way to recovery when he started playing doubles with Roddick. Fish came out with his
vulnerability, acknowledging to the world that I’m not okay and I need to step back.
At the time of Roddick and Fish, according to Graeme Tuckett of i.stuff.com.nz, “American tennis, in those years, was coming off the back of two decade-run in which Americans had near-dominated the sport. Fish and Roddick’s generation were expected to carry on the grand tradition of at least one American featuring in all of the finals that mattered.”
The article continues, “Like all sports, tennis attracts the driven and the perfectionists, but it also pits friend against friend in a winner-takes-all environment. In a team sport, or most track and field, if you don’t win, you have plenty of people around you to share your defeat, but in tennis, you die alone. Even among professional sports, tennis is notoriously tough on its players’ mental health.”
These days, Fish and his wife Stacey live in Los Angeles and are blessed with two young children. Would he encourage his children to take up tennis? I don’t know, but I can imagine he’ll probably support his kids whichever path they choose.
Fish established the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation (MFCF) which uses health and fitness programs to teach the same important lesson Tom taught Mardy all those years ago when Mardy picked up that first racquet—that every child has potential for greatness. Mardy and Tom are honored to celebrate their accomplishments by helping children discover the greatness in themselves.
You can help Tom honor Mardy by pledging your support to Tom’s NYC Marathon run. In doing so, you help Mardy and Tom make important and lasting differences in the lives of others. Discover your own potential to be great by helping another child discover their own. Visit mffkids.org to learn more. No donation is too small.
The Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation works to provide children access to after-school fitness, nutritional and enrichment programs to prepare them for healthy, productive and successful lives.
The MFCF kept open the doors of Pelican Island Elementary School in the fall of 2007 providing several enrichment and tennis programs. These programs provided a safe environment for children to go and participate in such activities as music, dance, art and sports. The foundation has since grown to 15 elementary schools and four middle schools currently serving more than 2,500 children in K-8th Grade.
By seeing a psychologist, Fish knew the value of selfcare and self-love. By acknowledging his weakness and vulnerability, Fish showed strength and character. I think sports academies should reevaluate the part where they teach young athletes not to show weakness because there is strength in vulnerability.
It’s okay not to be okay.