John Isner facts for kids
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Isner at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships.
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| Full name | John Robert Isner |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |  United States |
| Residence | Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Born | April 26, 1985 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
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| Official website | www.johnisner.com |
| Singles | |
| 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 serves and for playing in some of the longest matches in tennis history. John reached a career-high ranking of world No. 8 in singles in July 2018. He won 16 singles titles and 8 doubles titles during his career.
John Isner retired from professional tennis after the 2023 US Open. He holds the record for the most aces (powerful serves) in the history of the ATP Tour, with 14,470 aces. He also served the ATP's fastest official serve ever, at 157.2 miles per hour.
Contents
Early Life and College Tennis
John Isner was born on April 26, 1985, in Greensboro, North Carolina. He started playing tennis when he was 9 years old. By age 11, he began taking the sport seriously. He played for his high school team, helping them win a state championship in 2001.
After high school, John went to the University of Georgia. He was a very strong college player, winning 143 matches and losing only 28 in singles. He also won the 2005 NCAA doubles title. In 2007, he helped his team win the NCAA team event. After college, he decided to become a professional tennis player.
Becoming a Pro Tennis Player
John Isner started his professional career in 2007. At first, he needed special invitations to play in tournaments because his ranking was low.
He quickly started winning, improving his ranking from No. 839 to No. 416 in just one month. At the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington, D.C., 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.
John made his debut at the US Open in 2007. He won his first two matches before losing to the top player, Roger Federer. He was one of only two players to win a set against Federer in that tournament. By the end of 2007, his ranking was No. 107.
In 2008, John broke into the top 100, reaching No. 93. He played in his first French Open and Wimbledon tournaments, but lost in the first round of each.
Big Wins and First Title
In 2009, John Isner started working with a new coach, Craig Boynton. This helped him improve a lot. At the 2009 Indian Wells Masters, he got his first win against a top-10 player, beating Gaël Monfils. He also defeated former world No. 1 Marat Safin.
Later that year, at the US Open, he had a big win against Andy Roddick, a top American player. This was his first time reaching the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament. He finished 2009 ranked No. 34 and was named the ATP Most Improved Player.
In 2010, John won his first ATP tour title at the Heineken Open in Auckland. This win moved him into the top 30 for the first time.
The Longest Tennis Match Ever
At the 2010 Wimbledon Championships, John Isner played in the longest professional tennis match in history. He faced Nicolas Mahut in the first round. The match lasted an incredible 11 hours and 5 minutes and was played over three days!
John won the match with a final set score of 70-68. He set a new record for the most aces (113) in a single match. This match made him famous around the world.
After this historic match, John was very tired and lost in the next round.
Masters Finals and Top 10 Ranking
In 2011, John won the Hopman Cup for the United States with his partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands. He also reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the 2011 US Open, where he lost to Andy Murray. He won two singles titles that year.
In 2012, John Isner reached his first Masters 1000 final at the Indian Wells Masters. He beat world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the semifinals before losing to Roger Federer in the final. This achievement helped him enter the top 10 in singles rankings for the first time.
He also played in the 2012 London Olympics, reaching the quarterfinals before losing to Roger Federer. John won two more titles in 2012, including the 2012 Winston-Salem Open for the second year in a row.
In 2013, John won his first title on clay courts at the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships. He reached another Masters 1000 final in Cincinnati, beating Djokovic and Juan Martín del Potro before losing to Rafael Nadal.
More Titles and Milestones
John continued to win titles in the following years. He won the 2014 Heineken Open in 2014 and his ninth title in Atlanta. In 2015, he won his 10th ATP Tour title, defending his Atlanta title for the third year in a row.
In 2016, John reached his third Masters final in Paris, finishing the year as the No. 1 American player for the fifth time. He won two more titles in 2017, including his fourth Atlanta title.
First Masters 1000 Title and Grand Slam Semifinal
2018 was a very successful year for John Isner. He won his first Masters 1000 title at the Miami Open, defeating Alexander Zverev in the final. This win brought him back to his career-high ranking of world No. 9.
At Wimbledon that year, he reached his first Grand Slam semifinal. He played against Kevin Anderson in a match that lasted 6 hours and 36 minutes. This was the fourth-longest match in tennis history and the second-longest at a Grand Slam, after his own match against Mahut in 2010. John lost this incredibly long match.
He then won his fifth title at the Atlanta Open. At the US Open, he reached the quarterfinals again.
In 2019, John reached his fifth Masters final at the Miami Open, where he lost to Roger Federer. He finished the year in the top 20 for the tenth time in a row.
Later Career and Retirement
In 2021, John won his sixth ATP doubles title and his record sixth singles title at the 2021 Atlanta Open. He also reached the semifinals of the Canadian Open, which helped him return to the top 30 rankings.
In 2022, John Isner achieved a rare "Sunshine Double" in doubles. He won the doubles titles at both the Indian Wells Masters and the 2022 Miami Masters with different partners. This made him only the second man in history to win both events in the same year.
At the 2022 Wimbledon Championships, John broke the ATP record for the most career aces, passing Ivo Karlovic's record. He served 14,470 aces in his career.
In 2023, at the 2023 Dallas Open, he won his 500th tiebreak, becoming the first player 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 after his final doubles match on September 1, 2023.
John Isner's Playing Style
John Isner was known for his very powerful and consistent serve. His height, 6 feet 10½ inches, helped him serve the ball at incredible speeds and angles. He also had a strong forehand shot.
Because of his amazing serve, John won most of his service games. However, his height sometimes made it harder for him to move quickly around the court. This often led to long matches where both players held their serves, resulting in many tiebreaks. His long matches at Wimbledon, especially the 2010 and 2018 ones, were famous. Because of players like Isner, major tournaments now use a 10-point tiebreak in the final set to prevent matches from going on for too long.
John Isner was sponsored by Lacoste and later by FILA for his clothing, and by Prince for his rackets.
Coaches
John Isner worked with several coaches throughout his career. His first coach, Craig Boynton, helped him develop his unique playing style from 2009 to 2012. After that, he worked with Mike Sell, who helped him achieve significant success and keep his ranking around the top 10. Later, he also worked with Justin Gimelstob, and then with Rene Moller and David Macpherson.
Life After Tennis
In June 2024, John Isner made his professional pickleball debut. Pickleball is a paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis.
Personal Life
John Isner studied speech communication at the University of Georgia. He lives in Dallas, Texas.
He married Madison McKinley, a jewelry designer, on December 2, 2017. They have four children together.
Records and Achievements
John Isner holds several impressive records in tennis:
- He served 14,470 aces, which is the most in ATP Tour history.
- He won 505 tiebreaks, more than any other player in the Open Era.
- He played in 839 tiebreaks, also a record.
- He played in the longest singles match ever (11 hours, 5 minutes) at Wimbledon in 2010.
- He played in the second-longest match in a major tournament (6 hours, 36 minutes) at Wimbledon in 2018.
- He won the Atlanta Open six times, which is a record for that tournament.
- He won the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships four times.
Images for kids
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Isner at the 2007 US Open
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Isner's forehand return at the 2009 US Open
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Isner hits a forehand
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Isner during practice at the Aegon Championships in London, England
See also
In Spanish: John Isner para niños
