When the final story of Mardy Fish’s tennis career is written, you can expect to find the words “United States Davis Cup captain” in the opening paragraph.
And for good reason: Only 41 men in the game’s long and storied history have held that revered position, previously occupied by the likes of Arthur Ashe, Tony Trabert, Jim Courier and the McEnroe brothers, John and Patrick.
This week, for the first time since being named captain last year, Fish will guide the U.S. squad in a home match as the Americans face Uzbekistan in Hawaii in the Qualifying Round, during which 24 teams will compete around the world for 12 spots in the 2020 Davis Cup Finals in September in Canada.
Play in the two-day qualifiers, which included both singles and doubles competition, begins Friday.
“For a long time, I knew I wanted to be the Davis Cup captain at some stage,” Vero Beach’s home-grown tennis star said in January, when he returned home for his annual golf fundraiser at Windsor. “I always viewed it as a dream job, the best gig you could get in tennis after you retire from playing.
“I didn’t know I was going to get it this quickly, but with a new generation of younger players coming up, it was the perfect time for somebody new to come in – someone a little closer to their era,” he added. “I’ve played with a few of the guys, but most of them grew up watching me play.”
Fish, 38, succeeded Courier, a four-time major champion and former No. 1-ranked player who served as captain for eight years before stepping down at the end of 2018.
Though he wasn’t sure how the selection process worked, Fish, a former top-10 player whose career included several memorable Davis Cup performances, seized the opportunity and proceeded to tell everyone he knew in U.S. tennis how much he wanted the job.
“I had never interviewed for any job in my life, so I really didn’t know what to do, other than to fall back on my work ethic and contact everyone and anyone who may or may not have an influence on the decision and let them know what being captain would mean to me.
“I just took it upon myself to go after it, and I guess it worked.”
The last couple of guys did it for eight and 10 years,” Fish said, referring to Courier and Patrick McEnroe. “So, hopefully, I’m just getting started.”
