Former world No 7 Mardy Fish pens court statement in support of Justin Gimelstob as he faces assault allegations
Mardy Fish, the former world No 7, has been drawn into the controversy surrounding ATP Tour board member Justin Gimelstob.
Gimelstob is preparing for a vital court hearing in Los Angeles on Wednesday for an alleged assault on venture capitalist Randall Kaplan.
Fish – who reached three grand slam quarter-finals before his retirement in 2015 – is an old friend of Gimelstob’s who attended his wedding and partnered him a couple of times in ATP doubles tournaments.
Now Fish has submitted an affidavit in support of Gimelstob’s version of events on the evening of Oct 31, when Gimelstob is alleged to have assaulted Kaplan in Los Angeles – an incident for which he is expected to be charged on Wednesday.
Fish’s testimony was included among the papers supporting Gimelstob’s case at a custody hearing on Nov 29. The American stated that he had looked after Gimelstob’s four-year-old son during part of the Halloween trick-or-treating ritual, and added that “at no point” did the child seem upset.
Fish did not make any reference to Kaplan or an altercation between the two men. But the Telegraph understands that he is likely to be called into court as part of the Los Angeles Police Department’s case against Gimelstob, and asked whether he witnessed the incident.
Many in the tennis world will be following today’s events in Los Angeles closely. While Gimelstob – who is 41, and won two grand slam mixed doubles titles – has taken a leave of absence from his broadcasting role at the Tennis Channel, he has declined to step down from the ATP board.
In theory, Gimelstob could be removed by the board itself, or by the 10-man ATP player council, which is led by Novak Djokovic. Yet the American No 1 John Isner – who is not only a member of the player council, but also a former coaching client of Gimelstob’s – told reporters last week that “I would still support him because he is innocent until proven guilty… I don’t think he should take a leave right now”.
Wednesday's arraignment in a Los Angeles courtroom will reveal whether the district attorney will charge Gimelstob with a misdemeanour or, as expected, the more serious category of felony. If the charge is a felony, it is hard to see Gimelstob being able to travel to the next ATP board meetings in Melbourne in January, although he could potentially participate by conference call.
