Your biggest supporters are often your greatest critics as well. Mardy Fish would surely agree. The 43-year-old is quite active on social media, often sharing his opinions and reminiscing his days on the court. Particularly those with his rival, Roger Federer! The American pro doesn’t hold back when it comes to the Swiss maestro. While the world hails Federer as the king of Wimbledon and his iconic one-handed backhand, Fish prefers to keep things light with some friendly banter. Well, after losing to Federer eight times in their nine encounters, he can only look at the lighter side of things.
Fish’s lone win against Federer came at the 2008 Indian Wells Masters, and that victory was his ticket to gloat over the legend for days! But it was a pretty one-sided affair between Fish and Federer most of the time, with Federer dominating the court. One notable encounter was their intense final at Halle back in 2004, where Federer crushed him with a 6-0, 6-3 win in just about an hour. Ultimately, the Swiss maestro retired in 2022 at the Laver Cup, ending his legacy with 20 Grand Slams and 103 singles titles.
These days, Federer is busy with his athleisure clothing brand On, and his Roger Federer Foundation in South Africa. Despite his packed schedule, he still finds time to practice his shots. Recently, his video of hitting shots against a wall went viral. He was seen trying to land the ball inside a circle on the wall he was hitting against. However, Fish reshared the video on X and poked fun at him, writing: “Didn’t even hit 1 in the circle. No wonder he retired #washed.” It was in jest, of course.
Didn’t even hit 1 in the circle. No wonder he retired #washed https://t.co/101TEoxMMv
— Mardy Fish (@MardyFish) February 24, 2025
In all fairness, Fish has been pretty vocal about their past encounters. Recently, when someone asked on X, “Has a celebrity ever been rude to you??” Fish jumped in with a cheeky comment about their infamous 2004 Halle Open final. He humorously replied, “OMG Yes! This one time, Roger Federer won the first 9 games of our Final in Halle Germany. Super rude!” It’s clear that even years later, Fish can’t help but poke fun at Federer’s dominance.
However, he means no harm. He has praised Federer when the moment calls for it, showcasing a mix of humor and respect for his former rival.
Mardy Fish doesn’t hold back his praise towards Roger Federer
In 2023, during an interview, Fish reminisced about his encounters with Federer, calling the 2005 version of the Swiss the best player he’s ever faced. This isn’t surprising, given Federer’s dominance during that period. The 20-time GS champion dominated the tennis scene by winning two major titles: Wimbledon and the US Open. He also secured four Masters titles at Indian Wells, Miami, Cincinnati, and Hamburg, along with two ATP 500 series events at Rotterdam and Dubai. Federer maintained his No. 1 ranking throughout the year, achieving an impressive 81–4 win-loss record and claiming 11 singles titles overall.
Fish’s admiration for Federer extends beyond just his on-court prowess, even though the loss at the 2004 Halle Final seems to be a recurring sore topic for him. Back in 2021, Fish spoke about how Federer’s aura of invincibility affected American players like himself and Andy Roddick. “Roger had this aura of invincibility about him where you just could never breathe, ’cause he could turn it like that,” Fish explained. “Boom. Point’s over.”
Federer’s aura was vividly illustrated in their 2004 Halle final, where he swiftly took a 6-0, 3-0 lead in just 25 minutes. Fish humorously recalled thinking, “I’m like ‘unbelievable, this guy’s gonna beat me 6-0, 6-0 in the finals of a tournament’.” The American even joked that Federer might have prolonged the match out of sympathy for the spectators, ultimately winning 6-0, 6-3 in about an hour.
Seems like Roger has left quite an impression on Mardy just like he did on tennis as a sport to be talked about two years post-retirement. Do you want to see Federer and Mardy Fish lock horns again? In an exhibition match maybe?
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