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LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 28: Mardy Fish of the USA celebrates after winning his Gentlemen’s Singles second round match against James Ward of Great Britain on day four of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 28, 2012 in London, England (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
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LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 28: Mardy Fish of the USA celebrates after winning his Gentlemen’s Singles second round match against James Ward of Great Britain on day four of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 28, 2012 in London, England (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Former American tennis player Mardy Fish was a prominent name on the ATP Tour in the 2000s. A hardcourt specialist, Mardy won 4 out of his 6 singles titles on the surface. However, post retirement, the former World No. 7 player has become a leading voice in the growing recognition of the mental health impact on professional athletes.
After Naomi Osaka revealed that she faced mental health issues during the French Open 2021, there have been athletes from various sports speaking out on the topic. Mardy Fish highlighted how heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and NFL star Lane Johnson spoke about their feelings on this and backed them for coming in the open.
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The captain of the United States of America Davis Cup team stated, “I mean I know there are athletes that are dealing with this, there’s plenty more that are. I think it’s great that they are comfortable enough to come out. Someone like Lane Johnson who we saw recently on Fox, you know on football Sunday come out and have a nice interview.”
Mardy Fish talked about Tyson Fury addressing his mental health
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Fish spoke about Tyson Fury, the Heavyweight Champion, talking about his struggles with depression. He recognized the increasing willingness amongst professional athletes to address the topic, which is hopefully a trend that will percolate to the audiences and fans of these athletes as well.
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HYDE, ENGLAND – JULY 31: Tyson Fury trains during a media workout at Hatton Health & Fitness on July 31, 2018 in Hyde, England. (Photo by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)
The 39-year-old further added, “You know, we saw Tyson Fury just defend his heavyweight championship and him coming out and saying that he’s you know, he had struggled with suicide and depression and it’s not about being tough, it’s about saying it’s okay not to be okay.”
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Fish’s documentary, ‘Untold: Breaking Point’ also deals with his struggle with anxiety throughout his career. And he has since championed the cause for athletes across sports. As a sporting fan, it’s heartwarming to see representatives from other sports speaking on the same subject.
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