Three American veterans will retire at the US Open this year, and will spend their summer bidding farewell to the ATP World Tour on the US Open Series. While Mardy Fish, Robby Ginepri, and Michael Russell were never Grand Slam winners, they brought excitement and tenacity to the tour and all carved out solid careers for themselves, overcoming obstacles in the process. One would hope they will remain active in tennis and serve as good examples for the next generation of American players now coming onto the ATP World Tour, as they all maintain solid reputations in the tennis world.
Mardy Fish is retiring at 33 after missing the entire 2014 season, portions of the 2013 season, and most of this year as well. Fish, who has six career ATP titles, and was ranked inside the top 10 during the 2011 season, became aware of a heart defect in 2012, and though that resolved itself with multiple surgeries, his anxiety surrounding his condition did not, and that has more than anything else pushed him into retirement. He had good results in both singles and doubles.
Outside of Roddick, he’s still the most accomplished American player since Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi called it quits with four ATP masters finals, an Olympic silver medal in singles (Athens 2004) and three career Grand Slam Quarterfinals (Australian Open 07, US Open 08, Wimbledon 2011). He also reached the World Tour Finals in 2011, the last American to play in that tournament. Fish was a bit of a late bloomer on tour as he didn’t start coming into his own at the turn of the decade, and one has to feel his career was cut a bit short as his best season was just a year prior to the heart problem.
Fish, who played singles and doubles in Indian Wells this year, also did the same in Atlanta, and will finish his ATP career with a stop in Cincinnati before the US Open after playing doubles in Washington. In Atlanta he won a match with his good friend Andy Roddick, who came out of retirement to play doubles with him, and both of his singles losses this year were competitive (to Ryan Harrison in IW and Dudi Sela in Atlanta). Given Fish has still has the ability to play ATP main draw level tennis, he could win a match or two at the US Open, depending on his draw.
Mardy has always been beloved by fans and he seems to be enjoying his farewell tour thus far in both Atlanta and D.C. At the Citi Open, Fish played doubles with Grigor Dimitrov, and he’s done so in the past, Dimitrov is currently without a coach since splitting with Roger Rasheed, so perhaps that will be the next chapter in Mardy’s career. He also has shown an interest in professional golf.
Robby Ginepri, 32, continues to be the last American man to reach a Grand Slam singles semifinal, as he did so in a surprise run at the 2005 US Open. Ginepri, who now is a part time coach for Georgia Tech men’s tennis, and runs a tennis academy in Atlanta that works with developing players is seeking a main draw wild card from the USTA to end his underdog career at the US Open.
Ginepri won three ATP titles in his career (the last in 2009), and they all came on US soil as his best results came in North America. He also reached a pair of Masters semifinals in his career best year in 2005 (Madrid and Cincy), and was a bit of an all-court player as he was solid on both hard courts and clay. Robby hasn’t played a tournament match since the spring and after tough finish in 2014, finally decided his career had run its course. Back in 2014 he actually found some form early in the season at the challenger level, and earned a French Open main draw wild card from the USTA. His last Grand Slam main draw match, if he doesn’t get that USO wild card, will likely be a double bagel straight set defeat to none other than Rafael Nadal.
Ginepri lacked the game needed to get beyond the level he did, but all the same he put together a solid underdog career for himself, and was always a fan favorite.
“Iron Mike” “Muscles”, whatever you prefer to call 37 year old Michael Russell, the ironman, known for his consistent, hard fought, defensive baseline tennis has long been a cult hero for fans of journeymen and the ATP challenger tour. Russell, always a fan of the sleeveless look, a rarity on the ATP tour these days, never even reached an ATP final, and never reached the top 50, but he won 14 challenger titles, and made his home on the USTA Pro Circuit in the states where he holds the record for the most Pro Circuit titles.
Russell, who stands just 5-8, never had the size to impose himself on the court and he didn’t have any particular weapons, but he had tremendous tenacity and heart, good foot speed, and always gave his best in matches. His last ATP level main draw match came at the Australian Open this year, where he qualified, losing to David Goffin round 1. Qualifying is another thing he consistently did well though he made it out of the second round of a Slam just once, the 2001 French Open.
Iron Mike scored one top 10 win his career (over Mardy Fish at his home tournament in Houston, where he resides, in 2012), but he overcame knee surgery way back in 2003 to make a career for himself, after playing college tennis at the University of Miami back in the late 90’s. He also had hard fought losses to Lleyton Hewitt (in five sets) at the 2007 Australian Open, and Gilles Simon and Andy Roddick at the US Open (2012 and 2011).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVT2wrryuV0
Russell may never be famous, but he always showed a great attitude on court, and he’s accomplished more than many talented players simply because he has more heart. It’s a shame he’s been overlooked in his career, and couldn’t even get a main draw wild card for ATP Houston this season as the tournament director refused. He is currently being celebrated in World Team Tennis at least.
We will miss what these three American men brought to the game of pro tennis, and be sure to enjoy their final matches on the US Open Series, and at the US Open this Summer.
Main Photo:
