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John Isner
Singles
Isner at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships.
Full name	John Robert Isner
Country (sports)	United States
Residence	Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Born	(1985-04-26) April 26, 1985 (age 40) Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S.
Height	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Turned pro	2007
Retired	2023
Plays	Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
College	University of Georgia
Prize money	US $22,270,428 27th all-time leader in earnings
Official website	www.johnisner.com
Career record	489–317 (60.67%) (60.7%)
Career titles	16
Highest ranking	No. 8 (July 16, 2018)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	4R (2010, 2016)
French Open	4R (2014, 2016, 2018)
Wimbledon	SF (2018)
US Open	QF (2011, 2018)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals	RR (2018)
Olympic Games	QF (2012)
Doubles
Career record	150–114 (56.82%) (56.8%)
Career titles	8
Highest ranking	No. 14 (July 18, 2022)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	QF (2009)
French Open	3R (2008)
Wimbledon	1R (2023)
US Open	2R (2009)
Team competitions
Davis Cup	SF (2012, 2018)
Hopman Cup	W (2011)

John Robert Isner (born April 26, 1985) is an American former professional tennis player. He was known for his incredibly powerful serve, which was one of the fastest in tennis history. Standing at 6 feet 10 inches tall, Isner used his height to hit serves that were very hard for opponents to return. He reached a career-high ranking of world No. 8 in singles in July 2018.

Isner is famous for playing the longest professional tennis match ever at the 2010 Wimbledon Championships. This amazing match lasted over 11 hours! He also holds the record for the most aces (serves that opponents can't touch) in the history of the ATP Tour. Isner retired from professional tennis after the 2023 US Open.

Early Life and Tennis Beginnings

John Isner was born in Greensboro, North Carolina. He started playing tennis when he was 9 years old. By age 11, he began to take the sport more seriously.

He played for his high school team, Walter Hines Page Senior High School. He helped them win a state championship in 2001. Isner also competed in junior tournaments, including the 2002 US Open.

College Tennis Career

After high school, Isner joined the University of Georgia Bulldogs tennis team in 2003. He was a very strong player in college. He won 143 matches and lost only 28 in singles. In doubles, he won 140 matches and lost 27.

He was often ranked as the top college tennis player in the country. In 2005, he won the NCAA doubles title with his partner, Antonio Ruiz-Rosales. In 2007, his team won the NCAA team event. Isner turned professional after finishing his college career in 2007.

Professional Tennis Journey

Starting His Pro Career (2007-2008)

Isner at the 2007 US Open

John Isner started his professional career in the summer of 2007. His world ranking was very low at No. 839. He needed special invitations, called "wildcards," to play in tournaments.

He quickly won his first professional tournament, the USA F14 Futures. Just one month later, he won the Lexington Challenger. This helped his ranking jump to No. 416.

At the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington, D.C., Isner got a last-minute wildcard. He surprised everyone by beating several top players. He reached the final, where he played against fellow American Andy Roddick. This amazing week boosted his ranking to No. 193.

Isner's success earned him wildcards into bigger tournaments, including the US Open. In his first US Open, he defeated a seeded player and reached the third round. He lost to the top player, Roger Federer, but managed to win one set against him. Isner finished 2007 ranked No. 107.

In 2008, Isner played in his first Australian Open. He also played in the French Open and Wimbledon for the first time. He broke into the top 100 rankings in February 2008. He ended the year ranked No. 144.

Breaking into the Top 40 (2009)

In 2009, Isner started working with a new coach, Craig Boynton. At the 2009 Indian Wells Masters, Isner achieved a big win. He defeated Gaël Monfils, who was ranked in the top 10. This was his first victory against a top-10 player.

He also beat former world No. 1 Marat Safin at the same tournament. Later that year, he reached the semifinals of a big tournament in Washington. He defeated top players like Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Tomáš Berdych.

At the 2009 US Open, Isner had another breakthrough. He defeated Andy Roddick, who was ranked No. 5, in a five-set match. This was his first time reaching the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament. He finished 2009 ranked No. 34. His fellow players voted him the "ATP Most Improved Player" for that year.

First Title and the Longest Match (2010)

Isner hits a forehand

Isner started 2010 by winning his first ATP tour title at the Heineken Open in Auckland. This win moved him into the top 30 rankings for the first time.

He then reached the round of 16 at the Australian Open. He also made it to the finals of the Memphis tournament.

At the 2010 Wimbledon Championships, Isner played in the most famous match of his career. He faced Nicolas Mahut in the first round. This match became the longest match in tennis history. It lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes and was played over three days! Isner won the match with a final set score of 70-68.

After this incredibly long match, Isner was very tired. He lost in the next round. Despite this, he served 113 aces in the match, which was a new record. His performance at Wimbledon helped his ranking reach a career-high of No. 18.

Major Quarterfinal and More Titles (2011)

Isner started 2011 by winning the Hopman Cup mixed doubles event for the United States. He then won his second career title at the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships.

Later that year, he won the Winston-Salem Open. At the 2011 US Open, Isner reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal. He finished 2011 ranked No. 18.

Reaching the Top 10 (2012)

Isner serving in his 2012 Olympic men's singles quarterfinal match against Roger Federer

In 2012, Isner had a great start. He beat world No. 3 Roger Federer in the Davis Cup. He then reached his first Masters 1000 final at the Indian Wells Masters. He defeated world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the semifinals. After this, Isner entered the top 10 rankings for the first time in his career.

He won the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships for the second year in a row. He also won the 2012 Winston-Salem Open again. At the 2012 London Olympics, Isner reached the quarterfinals.

More Titles and Masters Finals (2013-2017)

In 2013, Isner won his first title on clay courts at the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships. He also won the Atlanta Open for the first time. He reached another Masters 1000 final in Cincinnati, where he lost to Rafael Nadal.

In 2014, Isner won the 2014 Heineken Open and the Atlanta Open again. He continued to be a strong player, often reaching the later rounds of tournaments.

In 2015, he won the Atlanta Open for the third year in a row. He also reached the semifinals of the Miami Masters. Isner finished 2015 ranked No. 11, his best year-end ranking at that time.

In 2016, Isner reached his third Masters final in Paris. He finished the year as the top-ranked American male player for the fifth year in a row. In 2017, he won two more titles: the Dell Technologies Hall of Fame Open and the Atlanta Open for the fourth time.

Career High and Grand Slam Semifinal (2018)

In 2018, John Isner had one of his best years. He won his first Masters 1000 title at the Miami Open. He defeated Alexander Zverev in the final. This win helped him reach a career-high ranking of world No. 8.

At Wimbledon, Isner reached his first Grand Slam semifinal. He played against Kevin Anderson in a very long match. It lasted 6 hours and 36 minutes, making it the second-longest match in Grand Slam history. Isner lost this close match. He also won the Atlanta Open for the fifth time.

Later Career and Retirement (2019-2023)

In 2019, Isner reached his fifth Masters final at the Miami Open. He continued to be a top player, finishing the year ranked No. 19.

In 2021, Isner won his sixth title at the Atlanta Open, setting a record for the most wins at that event. He also reached the semifinals of the Canadian Open.

In 2022, Isner achieved a rare "Sunshine Double" in doubles. He won the doubles titles at both the Indian Wells Masters and the 2022 Miami Masters. He partnered with Jack Sock for Indian Wells and Hubert Hurkacz for Miami. This made him only the second man in history to win both these big doubles titles in the same year.

At the 2022 Wimbledon Championships, Isner broke the ATP record for the most career aces, passing Ivo Karlovic. He served his 13,729th ace during his match against Jannik Sinner.

In 2023, at the 2023 Dallas Open, Isner won his 500th tiebreak, becoming the first man in the Open Era to reach this milestone. He announced that the US Open would be his final tournament. He played his last singles match on August 31, 2023, and retired from professional tennis on September 1, 2023, after his final doubles match.

Longest Matches in Grand Slam History

John Isner is known for playing in some of the longest tennis matches ever. He has been part of the two longest matches in Grand Slam tournament history.

The Longest Match: Isner vs. Mahut (2010 Wimbledon)

Wimbledon 2010, John Isner vs Nicolas Mahut scoreboard

At the 2010 Wimbledon Championships, Isner played Nicolas Mahut in the first round. This match lasted an incredible 11 hours and 5 minutes. It was played over three days!

The final set alone was longer than any previous tennis match. Isner served a record 113 aces in this match. Mahut also served 103 aces. Isner won the match with a final score of 6–4, 3–6, 6–7, 7–6, 70–68.

This match made Isner famous around the world. He and Mahut even won an ESPY Award for "Best Record-Breaking Performance."

Line score:
2010 Wimbledon Championships – Men's Opening Round	1 (32')	2 (29')	3 (49')	4 (64')	5 (491')
John Isner (23)	6	3	6⁷	7	70
Nicolas Mahut (Q)	4	6	7	6³	68

The Second-Longest Match: Isner vs. Anderson (2018 Wimbledon)

In 2018, Isner played another very long match in the Wimbledon semifinals. He faced Kevin Anderson of South Africa. This match lasted 6 hours and 36 minutes. It was the longest tennis match ever played on Centre Court at Wimbledon.

The match was very close, with many tiebreakers. Anderson eventually won the fifth set with a score of 26-24.

Line score:
2018 Wimbledon's Championships – Men's Semifinals	1 (63')	2 (54')	3 (61')	4 (43')	5 (175')
Kevin Anderson (8)	7	6⁵	6⁹	6	26
John Isner (9)	6⁶	7	7	4	24

Playing Style

Isner was known for his extremely powerful and consistent serve. His height, 6 feet 10 inches, helped him hit serves very fast and with a lot of spin. He also had a strong forehand shot.

Because of his great serve, Isner won most of his service games. However, his movement around the court was sometimes limited. This often led to long matches where both players held their serves, leading to tiebreaks. His long matches at Grand Slams even led to a rule change in 2022. Now, all four major tournaments use a 10-point tiebreak in the final set to prevent matches from going on for too long.

Coaches and Equipment

Isner worked with several coaches throughout his career. His first coach, Craig Boynton, helped him develop his unique playing style. Later, he worked with Mike Sell, Justin Gimelstob, Rene Moller, and David Macpherson.

Isner was sponsored by Lacoste and Prince for his clothing and rackets for many years. In 2016, he switched his clothing sponsor to FILA.

Personal Life

John Isner studied speech communication at the University of Georgia. He lived in Dallas, Texas.

He married Madison McKinley, a jewelry designer, in December 2017. They have four children together.

Career Highlights

Grand Slam Performance

Isner played in many Grand Slam tournaments throughout his career. He reached the quarterfinals of the US Open twice and the semifinals of Wimbledon once.

Tournament	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	SR	W–L	Win%
Australian Open	A	1R	1R	4R	3R	3R	A	1R	3R	4R	2R	1R	1R	3R	A	1R	1R	0 / 14	15–14	52%
French Open	A	1R	A	3R	1R	2R	3R	4R	2R	4R	3R	4R	A	2R	3R	3R	1R	0 / 14	22–14	61%
Wimbledon	A	1R	A	2R	2R	1R	2R	3R	3R	3R	2R	SF	2R	NH	1R	3R	1R	0 / 14	18–14	56%
US Open	3R	1R	4R	3R	QF	3R	3R	3R	4R	3R	3R	QF	3R	1R	1R	2R	2R	0 / 17	32–16	67%
Win–loss	2–1	0–4	3–2	8–4	7–4	5–4	5–3	7–4	8–4	10–4	6–4	12–4	3–3	3–3	2–3	5–3	1–4	0 / 59	87–58	60%

Masters 1000 Finals (Singles)

John Isner reached five Masters 1000 finals in his career, winning one title. These are very important tournaments, just below the Grand Slams.

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	2012	Indian Wells Masters	Hard	Roger Federer	6–7^(7–9), 3–6
Loss	2013	Cincinnati Masters	Hard	Rafael Nadal	6–7^(8–10), 6–7^(3–7)
Loss	2016	Paris Masters	Hard (i)	Andy Murray	3–6, 7–6^(7–4), 4–6
Win	2018	Miami Open	Hard	Alexander Zverev	6–7^(4–7), 6–4, 6–4
Loss	2019	Miami Open	Hard	Roger Federer	1–6, 4–6

Masters 1000 Finals (Doubles)

Isner also had great success in doubles, winning five Masters 1000 titles.

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Loss	2010	Italian Open	Clay	Sam Querrey	Bob Bryan Mike Bryan	3–6, 2–6
Win	2011	Italian Open	Clay	Sam Querrey	Mardy Fish Andy Roddick	w/o
Loss	2012	Indian Wells Masters	Hard	Sam Querrey	Rafael Nadal Marc López	2–6, 6–7^(3–7)
Win	2016	Shanghai Masters	Hard	Jack Sock	Henri Kontinen John Peers	6–4, 6–4
Win	2018	Indian Wells Masters	Hard	Jack Sock	Bob Bryan Mike Bryan	7–6^(7–4), 7–6^(7–2)
Win	2022	Indian Wells Masters	Hard	Jack Sock	Santiago González Édouard Roger-Vasselin	7–6^(7–4), 6–3
Win	2022	Miami Open	Hard	Hubert Hurkacz	Wesley Koolhof Neal Skupski	7–6^(7–5), 6–4
Loss	2022	Italian Open	Clay	Diego Schwartzman	Nikola Mektić Mate Pavić	2–6, 7–6^(8–6), [10–12]

Tennis Records

John Isner holds several impressive records in tennis:

He served 113 aces in a single match at Wimbledon in 2010. This is the most aces ever in an ATP singles match.
He has served the most aces in the history of the ATP Tour, with 14,470 aces.
He won 506 tiebreaks in his career, which is the most by any male player in the Open Era.
He played in the longest singles match ever (11 hours, 5 minutes) at Wimbledon in 2010.
He played in the longest Grand Slam semifinal ever (6 hours, 32 minutes) at Wimbledon in 2018.
He won the Atlanta Open 6 times, which is a record for that tournament.