Goldman Sachs Talks

Mardy Fish, Former Professional Tennis Player

Former professional tennis player Mardy Fish discusses his tennis career, his experience coping with anxiety, and the evolution of mental health awareness in sports. 

On experiencing mental health challenges: “I had some solid results, quarterfinals of a bunch of Masters events, fourth rounds of slams, and things like that. So, my tennis was fine, but I was suffering internally because I didn’t understand, I didn’t know what mental health was, what mental health issues were. I didn’t know what anxiety was.”

On fostering a culture of openness: “It’s really important to be open and honest with yourself, with your bosses, with your co-workers, with anyone, with your loved ones.  And it’s okay to be vulnerable. When I started learning about mental health, there’s tens of millions of just Americans that deal with some sort of mental health issue every day. So, it’s important to understand that you’re not alone.”
 

This episode was recorded on October 20, 2021.