Bleacher Report: Mardy Fish Begins Courageous Farewell Tour at 2015 US Open

By Art Spander
Featured Columnist

NEW YORK — He was playing in the same tennis tournament, the U.S. Open, from which he walked away almost three years ago to the date. Mardy Fish was back as much to be the role model he couldn't find in others as to write a chapter of a story he conceded is about to end.

On Sept. 3, 2012, Fish, then one of America's best and the 23rd seed in that Open, pulled out of a fourth-round match against Roger Federer, saying it was for "precautionary measures" and on doctor's orders. Fish had missed two and a half months of the season because of an irregular heartbeat and in May had undergone a medical procedure.

Read the full story here.

Copyright © 2015 Bleacher Report, Inc. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Washington Times: Mardy Fish excited to get back on court in D.C.’s heat

By Art Spander
Special to the Washington Times

His life has returned to a pro tennis player’s normalcy, airport-to-airport, tournament-to-tournament, his concerns again about the person across the net instead of his health issue.

Read the full story here.

© Copyright 2012 The Washington Times, LLC

RealClearSports: Overcoming the Hurt at Wimbledon

By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

WIMBLEDON, England — There’s no DL, disabled list, in tennis. As Venus Williams said once, if you’re play you’re not hurt, if you’re hurt don’t play. But what if you want to play and you’re unable?

Any athlete is beholden to his or her body, and so always there are worries and fears. And pain.

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2012

RealClearSports: The Moment Arrives for Fish

By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

WIMBLEDON, England — The opportunity was here at last. All those years and finally, almost when it was time to say goodbye. Mardy Fish was able to tell us hello.

"I've never been past this spot in a grand slam,'' he confirmed, as if anyone needed confirmation. The chance of his tennis lifetime had arrived.

A quarterfinal at Wimbledon, the oldest of tournaments ...

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2011

Yahoo! Sports: Fish has found peaceful waters

By Art Spander
The Sports Xchange

WIMBLEDON, England — There was the time Mardy Fish sprained ligaments in his foot … while trying to kick a field goal, which isn't exactly the reason most tennis players are forced to withdraw from the French Open.

That was in 2007, two years after Fish had two operations on his left wrist and two years before Fish, a prodigy who became a problem, had arthroscopic surgery on the left knee.

Read the full story here.

Copyright © 2011 Yahoo! Inc. All Rights Reserved.