John Isner
Born: April 26, 1985 in Greensboro (North Carolina)
Height: 2.08 m
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
John Isner and Ivo Karlović (211 cm) hold a unique place in tennis history. While there were exceptional servers in the 80s, 90s, and 00s, these two towering giants introduced something entirely new to the game in the 2010s. Though both had established themselves as ATP tour players a decade earlier (Karlović in 2003, Isner in 2007), their presence on the court evolved into something almost unprecedented – a type of “tennis without tennis.” Matches against them often felt like a distinct sport where the outcome hinged on a handful of points. They racked up countless aces, engaged in innumerable tie-breaks, and frequently played marathon fifth sets. Isner, in particular, shattered previous records with his extraordinary battle against Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon 2010.
Isner’s remarkable capabilities were on display as early as his second main-level event in Washington, 2007. He reached the final by winning five consecutive matches in deciding third-set tie-breaks – a feat that was unparalleled in tennis history. Unlike Roger Federer, who had won three straight deciding tie-breaks in 2005 across two tournaments, Isner accomplished his streak over five consecutive days on the same courts! This led many to believe that he was one of the most mentally resilient players ever. While his results from the Challenger circuit and college years painted a more nuanced picture, that week in Washington, Isner’s excessive luck defied probability. Among the five players he defeated in those tie-breaks were notable names like Tim Henman, Tommy Haas, and Gaël Monfils.
Sixteen years later, Isner retired from professional tennis. Looking back, he should feel fulfilled, having achieved far more than Karlović, who was six years his senior and possessed a similar skill set. Isner’s crowning achievement came at the 2018 Miami Open, where he claimed his biggest title after reaching three previous Masters 1000 finals (Indian Wells 2012, Cincinnati 2013, and Paris 2016). Surprisingly, he won Miami with minimal reliance on tie-breaks, breaking his opponents several times throughout the tournament. Among those he defeated were top-tier players and fellow giants, though considerably shorter than himself, like Marin Čilić, Juan Martín del Potro, and Alexander Zverev.
Throughout his career, Isner was consistently reliant on tie-breaks and extended fifth sets at major tournaments. He holds the unfortunate record for losing the most matches after holding match points (33 losses, compared to Karlović’s 22). Contrary to popular belief that such losses indicate a lack of mental toughness, Isner was anything but mentally fragile. The term “choke” doesn’t fit him. Like any seasoned player, he had matches that slipped through his fingers, but these were often due to his weaker backhand and limited movement rather than a mental collapse. No matter how skilled or confident his opponents were on any given day, they always knew what to expect against Isner – a moment in the second or third decisive set when he might face the only break(match) point, with their fate hinging on exploiting Isner’s backhand (if he had missed his first serve), forcing him to move quickly along the baseline. Beating Isner ‘7-6, 6-4’ or losing to him ‘7-6, 6-7, 4-6’ very often depended on the efficacy of his first serve at a critical juncture, regardless of how he felt the ball when hitting it from the back of the court. Tomáš Berdych was an intriguing exception, consistently breaking Isner’s serve. My explanation is that the tall Czech’s ability to hit the ball effectively at shoulder height with his backhand neutralized Isner’s kick serves, which typically troubled other opponents. Berdych was less productive returning Karlović’s serve though.
Isner was a more well-rounded player than Karlović. While the Croatian relied heavily on his serve-and-volley game, often slicing his backhands and waiting for a slower ball to attack with his forehand, Isner employed a more “one-two punch” strategy as a server, mixing up the serve speed (second serve faster than the first one, Karlović was never doing that), at times sneaking to the net behind kick-second serves. As a returner, he tended to wait until the final stages of sets to press, at which point he was much more effective than Karlović in retrieving balls. Isner even led Rafael Nadal 2-1 in sets at the 2011 French Open, a testament to his adaptability and resilience. Excluding the Laver Cup, which I don’t consider a main-level event, Nadal is the only great player born in the 1980s that Isner never defeated. Over the years, Andy Murray seemed to be Isner’s toughest opponent, but the American finally got the better of him in their ninth meeting at Wimbledon 2022, when Murray, playing with a metal hip, was far from the agile defender who had previously bested Isner at crucial moments.
With his booming serve, Isner always had the potential to reach a major final at Wimbledon or the US Open, where the electric crowd energized him. However, New York typically saw him exit in the third round, while London witnessed his deepest run in 2018 when he reached the semifinal before losing an epic match to his old college rival, Kevin Anderson. That match played a significant role in Wimbledon’s decision to introduce a tie-break in the fifth set starting in 2019.
Now that both Isner and Karlović have retired (both played their last matches at the US Open, the Croat two years earlier), Reilly Opelka (211 cm) remains the lone tennis player with the height more typical of a volleyball or basketball player. While Opelka’s movement & backhand appear better than Isner’s, and his tactical approach mirrors the latter’s, he lacks Isner’s commitment and passion. In Dallas 2022, Opelka and Isner co-created a new record for the longest tie-break. They played six times against each other: 17 sets, 14 tie-breaks (10-4 Opelka) – it explains there’s nothing special that these two US giants overcame Björn Borg‘s “eternal” record.
Career record: 489-317 [ 308 events ]
Career titles: 16
Highest ranking: No. 8
Best GS results:
Wimbledon (semifinal 2018)
US Open (quarterfinal 2011, 18)
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Activity: 2007 – 2023
Five-setters: 12–25 (32%)
Tie-breaks: 505–334 (60%)
Deciding 3rd set TB: 60-48 (56%)
MP matches: 20-33
Defeats by retirement: 5
Walkovers given: 3
Longest victory: Wimbledon ’10 (1R)… Nicolas Mahut 6-4, 3-6, 6-7, 7-6, 70-68… 11 hours 5 minutes
Longest defeat: Wimbledon ’18 (SF)… Kevin Anderson 6-7, 7-6, 7-6, 4-6, 24-26… 6 hours 35 minutes