History of John Isner in Timeline
John Isner, a retired American professional tennis player, peaked at No. 8 in singles and No. 14 in doubles. Renowned for his exceptional serve, he won the 2018 Miami Open and reached the 2018 Wimbledon semifinals. Isner also achieved two US Open quarterfinal appearances. He's known for playing the longest tennis match in history at the 2010 Wimbledon Championships against Nicolas Mahut, lasting 11 hours and 5 minutes. Isner holds the record for most aces in ATP history with 14,470 and recorded the third-fastest serve at 157.2 mph. He retired after the 2023 US Open.
1973: No American Men Ranked in the Top 30
In 2021, Isner's ranking drop marked the first time that no American men were ranked in the top 30 since the introduction of computerized tennis rankings in 1973.
April 26, 1985: John Isner's Birth
On April 26, 1985, John Robert Isner was born. He would later become a professional tennis player known for his serve.
1989: Jakob Hlasek win of Sunshine Double
John Isner became the second man in history (after Jakob Hlasek in 1989) to win the elusive Sunshine Double.
1991: Fifth Man Since 1991 to Reach 1000 Aces at Wimbledon
John Isner became the fifth man since 1991 to reach 1000 aces at Wimbledon.
2001: State Championship
In 2001, John Isner helped lead Walter Hines Page Senior High School to a state championship in tennis.
2001: Arnaud Clement Australian Open
John Isner saved a championship point to defeat 2001 Australian Open finalist Arnaud Clément at the 2010 Heineken Open.
2002: Junior Tournaments
In 2002, John Isner played in 10 junior tournaments, including the 2002 US Open and the 2002 Orange Bowl.
2002: David Nalbandian at Cincinnati Masters
In 2010, John Isner faced 2002 Wimbledon finalist David Nalbandian at the Cincinnati Masters
2003: College Recruitment
In 2003, John Isner was heavily recruited out of high school and joined the University of Georgia Bulldogs.
2005: NCAA Doubles Title
In 2005, John Isner won the NCAA doubles title partnering with Antonio Ruiz-Rosales.
2005: David Nalbandian at Cincinnati Masters
In 2010, John Isner faced 2005 Tennis Masters Cup champion David Nalbandian at the Cincinnati Masters
2006: US Open Semifinalist
In 2010, John Isner played at the US Open and lost to 2006 US Open Semifinalist Mikhail Youzhny
November 2007: Australian Open Direct Entry
In November 2007, John Isner's no. 106 ranking allowed him direct entry into the Australian Open.
2007: First Meeting with Roger Federer
In 2007, John Isner had his first match against Roger Federer at the US Open.
2007: College Career End
In 2007, John Isner reached the NCAA singles finals, losing to Somdev Devvarman, and won the team event against Illinois, marking the end of his college career and his transition to becoming a professional tennis player.
2007: Breakthrough Performance
In 2010, John Isner competed at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington D.C., the site of his breakthrough performance in 2007.
2007: Start of Professional Career
In the summer of 2007, John Isner began his professional tennis career in earnest, requiring wildcard entries into tournaments due to his world ranking of no. 839.
2007: Washington Final
John Isner reached his second career ATP final since Washington in 2007.
2008: Australian Open First Round Losses
At the 2008 Australian Open, John Isner was defeated in the first round of both the singles and doubles tournaments.
2008: Disappointing Season
John Isner worked with Craig Boynton to get back on track following his disappointing 2008 season.
March 2009: New Coach
In March 2009, John Isner began working with a new coach, Craig Boynton, who previously coached Jim Courier.
April 2009: U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships Quarterfinal
In April 2009, John Isner reached the quarterfinals at the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships in Houston.
August 2009: Washington Semifinal
In August 2009, John Isner reached the semifinals of the ATP World Tour 500 event in Washington, achieving a career-high ranking of no. 55.
2009: Indian Wells Upset
At the 2009 Indian Wells Masters, John Isner defeated ninth seed Gaël Monfils, securing his first win over a top-10 player.
2009: Coaching with Craig Boynton
From 2009 to 2012, Craig Boynton coached John Isner and helped develop his style of play.
2009: Singles Title Drought Begins
In 2009, Isner began a period where he would not win a singles title, a drought that ended in 2016.
2009: Heineken Open Quarterfinal
In 2009, John Isner qualified for the singles draw of the Heineken Open in Auckland and reached the quarterfinals.
2009: ATP Most Improved Player
In 2009, John Isner was voted the ATP Most Improved Player.
March 2010: Davis Cup Selection
In March 2010, John Isner was selected for the United States Davis Cup team.
2010: Defeat of Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon 2010
At Wimbledon, his first-round defeat of Nicolas Mahut in 2010 was the longest match in a Grand Slam tournament.
2010: Victory against Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon
At the 2010 Wimbledon Championships, John Isner faced Nicolas Mahut and won the match 6–4, 3–6, 6–7, 7–6, 70–68.
2010: Atlanta Tennis Championships
In 2010, Isner participated in the Atlanta Tennis Championships.
2010: China Open and Shanghai Masters Participation
In 2010, Isner received a wildcard for the China Open in Beijing, reaching the semifinals in singles but losing in the first round in doubles. He then competed at the Shanghai Masters, reaching the second round.
2010: Australian Open Victory
In 2010, John Isner achieved his first victory at the Australian Open and his first victory at a Grand Slam other than the US Open.
2010: BNP Paribas Open
In 2010, John Isner advanced to the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
2010: Davis Cup Appearance
In 2010, John Isner appeared in the first round of the Davis Cup, facing Novak Djokovic and Viktor Troicki.
2010: Legg Mason Tennis Classic
In 2010, John Isner competed at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic and made it to the round of 16.
2010: Longest Match in Major Tournament History
In 2010, John Isner competed in the longest match in major tournament history against Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon.
2010: Top 30 Ranking
In 2010, John Isner entered the top 30 for the first time and became the second-highest-ranked American, behind Andy Roddick.
2010: First ATP Tour Title
In 2010, John Isner won his first ATP tour title at the Heineken Open in Auckland and donated $5,000 to aid rescue action for the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
2010: Cincinnati Masters Injury
In 2010, at the Cincinnati Masters, John Isner was forced to retire due to an ankle injury.
2010: Fame and Recognition
In 2010, the match against Mahut brought Isner a measure of fame. He made guest appearances on Good Morning America and the Late Show with David Letterman, and threw the ceremonial first pitch at a New York Yankees game. He and Mahut won the 2010 ESPY Award for Best Record-Breaking Performance in sport.
2010: Isner v Mahut, June 22-24, 2010
Isner competed against Nicolas Mahut in the longest match in history, from June 22-24, 2010.
2010: Playing in the longest major matches in history
John Isner played in the two longest major matches in history during the 2010 and 2018 Wimbledon Championships.
2011: French Open and Wimbledon
At the 2011 French Open, Isner faced Rafael Nadal, taking a two-sets-to-one lead before Nadal won. At the 2011 Wimbledon, Isner won against Mahut but lost to Nicolás Almagro in the second round.
2011: Australian Open
In 2011, Isner entered the Australian Open seeded 20th. He defeated Florent Serra and Radek Štěpánek but lost to Marin Čilić in the third round.
2011: Davis Cup, China Open, and Shanghai Masters
In 2011, Isner participated in the Davis Cup tie against Colombia, partnering with Mardy Fish to win the doubles match. The United States won the tie 3–1. Following this, he competed in the China Open and Shanghai Masters.
2011: US Open Quarterfinal Appearance
In 2011, Isner reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the US Open, where he was defeated by Andy Murray.
2011: Atlanta Tennis Championships and Legg Mason Tennis Classic
In 2011, Isner reached the final of the Atlanta Tennis Championships, losing to Mardy Fish. He then reached the semifinals of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, losing to Gaël Monfils.
2011: Hall of Fame Tennis Championships Victory
In 2011, Isner won the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, his first title of the year and second of his career. He defeated Olivier Rochus in the final.
2011: Reaching Grand Slam Quarterfinal Since 2011 US Open
John Isner reached the quarterfinal of the French Open since the 2011 US Open.
January 2012: Sponsorship by Lacoste and Prince
As of January 2012, Isner was sponsored by Lacoste and Prince for his attire and rackets, respectively.
March 19, 2012: Top 10 Ranking Achieved
On March 19, 2012, John Isner reached the top 10 in singles ranking as a result of reaching the doubles final at Indian Wells Masters.
2012: Indian Wells Masters
In 2012, Isner had a rematch of their 2012 semifinal at the Indian Wells Masters.
2012: Australian Open and Davis Cup
In 2012, Isner reached the second round of the Australian Open and won two singles rubbers in the Davis Cup against Switzerland, helping the United States secure a victory.
2012: Atlanta Tennis Championships and Rogers Cup
In 2012, Isner reached the semifinals at the Atlanta Tennis Championships and the quarterfinals of the Rogers Cup.
2012: London Olympics Appearance
In 2012, Isner was featured on special London 2012 Coke cans. He lost in the quarterfinals of the Olympics to Roger Federer. He and Andy Roddick were eliminated in the first round of the men's doubles.
2012: Open de Nice Côte d'Azur Quarterfinal Loss
In 2012, Isner was the top seed at the Open de Nice Côte d'Azur but was upset in the quarterfinals by Nikolay Davydenko.
2012: Wimbledon Championships First Round Loss and Hall of Fame Title
In 2012, Isner was upset in the first round of the Wimbledon Championships. Later in July, he won the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships for the second consecutive year.
2012: Winston-Salem Open Victory and US Open
In 2012, Isner won his second title of the year at the Winston-Salem Open. At the US Open, he lost in the third round.
2012: French Open Second Round Loss
In 2012, at the French Open, Isner lost in the second round to Paul-Henri Mathieu in a 5-hour and 41-minute match.
2012: Split with Craig Boynton
John Isner and Craig Boynton split over reportedly mutual agreement.
2013: Sydney and Australian Open
In 2013, Isner lost in the second round in Sydney and did not appear at the Australian Open due to a bone bruise in his right knee.
2013: Washington Final and Rogers Cup
In 2013, Isner lost to Juan Martín del Potro in the Washington final. He also lost in the first round of the Rogers Cup to Vasek Pospisil.
2013: Cincinnati Final and US Open
In 2013, Isner reached the final in Cincinnati, losing to Rafael Nadal. At the US Open, he lost in the third round to Philipp Kohlschreiber.
2013: Topshelf Open First Round Exit
In 2013, Isner was defeated in the first round of the Topshelf Open by Evgeny Donskoy.
2013: French Open Matches
In 2013, at the French Open, Isner had a tough first round against Ryan Harrison, recovering from two sets down to win in five sets. He then faced Tommy Haas, saving 12 match points but ultimately losing.
2014: Teaming with Justin Gimelstob
After parting from Mike Sell in 2014, John Isner teamed with Justin Gimelstob.
2014: Hiring Justin Gimelstob as Coach
At the end of the 2014 season, Isner hired Justin Gimelstob as his new coach.
2014: Indian Wells Masters Semifinal Run
In 2014, Isner reached the semifinals of the Indian Wells Masters, losing to Novak Djokovic, but securing a return to the top 10 ranking.
2014: Hopman Cup Participation
In 2014, Isner started his season at the Hopman Cup with Sloane Stephens, where they won against Spain but lost to France and the Czech Republic.
2014: Heineken Open Victory and Australian Open
In 2014, Isner won the Heineken Open, defeating Lu Yen-hsun in the final. He then retired at the Australian Open due to an ankle injury.
2014: Wimbledon Championships Third Round
In 2014, at the Wimbledon Championships, Isner reached the third round, losing to Feliciano López.
2015: End of Lacoste Attire Sponsorship
John Isner's attire carried through most of 2015.
April 2016: Parting from Justin Gimelstob
John Isner worked with Justin Gimelstob until April 2016.
2016: Switch to FILA Attire
In 2016 at the Australian Open, John Isner switched his attire to FILA.
2016: Australian Open and Davis Cup
In 2016, Isner reached the fourth round of the Australian Open for the first time in six years. He also defeated Bernard Tomic and Sam Groth in the Davis Cup to help the United States move into the quarterfinals against Croatia.
2016: Shanghai Masters and Paris Masters
In 2016, Isner won the Shanghai Masters doubles title with Jack Sock and reached the final of the Paris Masters. He finished the year as the no. 1 American and inside the top 20.
2016: 2016 Season
In 2016, John Isner reached the fourth round at the BNP Paribas Open for the third year in a row, and the fourth round of the French Open. He also had early losses in grass tournaments.
December 2, 2017: Marriage to Madison McKinley
On December 2, 2017, John Isner married Madison McKinley in Bluffton, South Carolina.
2017: Wimbledon Championships and Hall of Fame Open Victory
In 2017, John Isner competed at Wimbledon, losing in the second round. He won his first singles title of the year at the Dell Technologies Hall of Fame Open in Newport.
2017: 2017 Season
In 2017, John Isner reached the quarterfinals at the ASB Classic, Memphis Open, and U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships. He reached the semifinals in Rome at the Italian Open and fell in the third round at the French Open.
January 2018: Losing Matches in January 2018
In January 2018, John Isner had a rough start, failing to win a match. He lost in the round of 16 at the Auckland Open and in the first round of the Australian Open to Matthew Ebden.
July 13, 2018: Isner v Anderson, July 13, 2018
The match of Isner v Anderson was played on July 13, 2018.
July 2018: Career-High Singles Ranking
In July 2018, John Isner achieved his career-high singles ranking of world No. 8 after winning the 2018 Miami Open and reaching the Wimbledon Championships Semifinal.
2018: Wimbledon Semifinal
At Wimbledon 2018, Isner advanced to his first Grand Slam semifinal, losing to Kevin Anderson in a six-hour and 36-minute match.
2018: Winning Indian Wells and Miami Open
In 2018, Isner won the Indian Wells doubles title with Jack Sock, defeating the Bryan Brothers. He also won his first Masters 1000 title at the Miami Open, defeating Alexander Zverev in the final, returning to his career-high ranking of world No. 9.
2018: Second-Longest Match in Major Tournament History
In 2018, John Isner lost to Kevin Anderson in the second-longest match in major tournament history at Wimbledon.
2018: Atlanta Open Win and US Open Quarterfinal
In 2018, John Isner won his fifth title at the Atlanta Open, defeating Ryan Harrison. He also reached the US Open quarterfinal before losing to Juan Martín del Potro.
2018: Playing in the longest major matches in history
John Isner played in the two longest major matches in history during the 2010 and 2018 Wimbledon Championships.
2019: Miami Open Final and Top 20 Finish
In 2019, Isner reached the final of the Miami Open, losing to Roger Federer. He finished the year ranked No. 19, his tenth consecutive top 20 finish.
2020: ASB Classic Semifinals and Australian Open Injury
In 2020, John Isner reached the ASB Classic semifinals before losing to Ugo Humbert. At the Australian Open, he reached the third round but retired with a foot injury.
July 2021: Los Cabos Open Doubles Title
In July 2021, Isner won his sixth ATP doubles title at the Los Cabos Open, partnering with Hans Hach Verdugo.
August 16, 2021: Ranking elevated to No. 26 after Canadian Open
On August 16, 2021, Isner's performance at the Canadian Open elevated him to No. 26 in the rankings.
2021: Atlanta Open Win
At the 2021 Atlanta Open, John Isner defeated Brandon Nakashima to win a record sixth title at the event.
2021: French Open Third Round
At the 2021 French Open, John Isner reached the third round, where he lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas.
2021: Ranking Drop Outside Top 30 in 2021
In April 2021, Isner fell from the top 30 for the first time in 10 years after not defending his points from the Miami Open. Despite reaching the quarterfinals at the Madrid Open in 2021, he remained outside the top 30.
May 16, 2022: Top 20 Doubles Ranking
On May 16, 2022, as a result of reaching the Italian Open semifinal with Diego Schwartzman, Isner reached the top 20 in doubles.
2022: US Open Wrist Injury
At the 2022 US Open, John Isner withdrew from his second round match due to a wrist injury sustained during his first round match against Federico Delbonis.
2022: Sunshine Double Win
In 2022, John Isner partnered with Hubert Hurkacz and defeated Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski in the Miami Masters, becoming the second man in history to win the Sunshine Double.
2022: Rolex Paris Masters Return
In 2022, John Isner returned to competition at the Rolex Paris Masters, losing in the second round to Andrey Rublev.
2022: Passing Ivo Karlovic's Aces Record and Reaching 1000 Aces at Wimbledon in 2022
In 2022, at Wimbledon, John Isner passed Ivo Karlovic's ATP record of career aces. During his match against Jannik Sinner, Isner hit 24 aces and became the fifth man since 1991 to reach 1000 aces at Wimbledon.
2022: Adoption of 10-point tiebreakers
In large part due to Isner, in 2022 all four majors adopted 10-point fifth-set tiebreakers.
June 12, 2023: Exit from the Top 100
John Isner exited the top 100 on June 12, 2023.
August 2023: Retirement Announcement
In August 2023, John Isner announced that the US Open would be the final event of his career.
August 31, 2023: Most Aces in ATP History
As of August 31, 2023, John Isner held the record for the most aces in the history of the ATP Tour, with 14,470 aces.
September 1, 2023: Retirement from Professional Tennis
On September 1, 2023, John Isner retired from professional tennis following his last doubles match with Jack Sock.
June 2024: Pickleball Debut
In June 2024, John Isner made his professional pickleball debut in men's doubles at the Texas Open.
