John Isner, a retired American tennis player, achieved a career-high ranking of world No. 8 in singles and No. 14 in doubles. Known for his powerful serve, he won the 2018 Miami Open, a Masters 1000 title, and reached the Wimbledon semifinals the same year. He also made it to the US Open quarterfinals twice (2011, 2018), with the latter securing him a spot in the ATP Finals. Notably, Isner played the longest professional tennis match ever at Wimbledon in 2010, a grueling 11-hour, 5-minute victory against Nicolas Mahut. He holds the record for the ATP's fastest official serve at 157.2 mph (253 km/h) and has served the most aces in ATP Tour history (over 14,470). Isner retired after the 2023 US Open.
1973: Introduction of Computerized Rankings
1973 was the year computerized tennis rankings were introduced, providing context for John Isner's ranking drop in 2021, the first time no American man was ranked in the top 30 since these rankings began.
April 26, 1985: Birth of John Isner
John Robert Isner was born on April 26, 1985.
1989: Hlasek's Sunshine Double
In 1989, Jakob Hlasek achieved the "Sunshine Double" by winning both the Indian Wells and Miami Open doubles titles. John Isner became the second player to achieve this same feat in 2022.
1991: Wimbledon Ace Milestone
By 2022, only five men since 1991 had hit 1000 aces at Wimbledon, with Isner being one of them.
1998: Andre Agassi Wins Most Improved Player
Andre Agassi won the ATP Most Improved Player award in 1998. John Isner achieved the same honor in 2009.
2001: Clément's Australian Open Final
Arnaud Clément, whom Isner defeated for his first ATP title in 2010, was the 2001 Australian Open finalist.
2001: High School State Championship
John Isner helped his high school team win the state championship in 2001.
2002: Nalbandian's Wimbledon Final
David Nalbandian reached the final of Wimbledon in 2002.
2002: Junior Tournament Participation
In 2002, Isner participated in junior tournaments including the US Open and the Orange Bowl.
2003: University of Georgia
John Isner started playing tennis at the University of Georgia in 2003.
2005: NCAA Doubles Title
In 2005, Isner won the NCAA doubles title with Antonio Ruiz-Rosales.
2005: Nalbandian's Tennis Masters Cup Victory
David Nalbandian won the Tennis Masters Cup in 2005.
2006: Youzhny's US Open Semifinal
Mikhail Youzhny reached the semifinals of the US Open in 2006.
November 2007: Australian Open Debut
In November 2007, John Isner's ranking qualified him for the 2008 Australian Open.
2007: Breakthrough in Washington, D.C.
In 2007, John Isner had a breakthrough performance at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington, D.C.
2007: NCAA Team Event and Singles Finals
In 2007, John Isner won the NCAA team event and reached the singles finals. He then turned professional.
2007: First Grand Slam Win Since 2007 US Open
Isner's win at the 2009 US Open against Victor Hanescu ended a streak of six consecutive Grand Slam defeats since the 2007 US Open.
2007: Previous Meeting with Federer
John Isner and Roger Federer previously met at the 2007 US Open.
2007: Professional Career Begins
John Isner began his professional tennis career in the summer of 2007.
2007: Previous ATP Final Appearance in Washington D.C.
John Isner's ATP final in Auckland in 2010 was his first since Washington D.C. in 2007.
2008: Career High Ranking
Following a disappointing 2008 season, John Isner finished 2009 at a career-high ranking of No. 34, crediting his work with coach Craig Boynton.
2008: Early Losses at Australian Open
Isner lost in the first round of both singles and doubles at the 2008 Australian Open.
March 2009: New Coach and Australian Open
In March 2009, Isner began working with a new coach, Craig Boynton, and participated in the Australian Open.
April 2009: U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships and Illness
In April 2009, Isner reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships but withdrew from the French Open and Wimbledon due to mononucleosis.
August 2009: Washington Semifinals
In August 2009, John Isner reached the semifinals of the ATP 500 event in Washington, D.C.
2009: Heineken Open Quarterfinals
In 2009, John Isner reached the quarterfinals of the Heineken Open in Auckland.
2009: Last Titleless Year in Singles
2009 marked the last time before 2016 that John Isner finished a season without winning a singles title.
2009: ATP Most Improved Player
John Isner was voted the ATP Most Improved Player for 2009, the first American since Andre Agassi in 1998.
2009: Indian Wells Masters Upset
In 2009, Isner upset Gaël Monfils at the Indian Wells Masters, his first win over a top-10 player.
2009: Craig Boynton as Coach
Starting in 2009, Craig Boynton coached Isner, helping him develop his playing style.
March 2010: Davis Cup Selection
In March 2010, John Isner was selected to play singles for the United States in the Davis Cup, a significant milestone he described as "a dream come true."
2010: Isner vs. Mahut
The longest tennis match ever played occurred between June 22-24, 2010 at Wimbledon and lasted over 11 hours between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut.
2010: Rise in Rankings and Davis Cup Prospects
In 2010, John Isner's victory propelled him into the top 30 in the world rankings, surpassing Sam Querrey to become the second-highest-ranked American behind Andy Roddick. He aimed to finish the year in the top 20, increasing his chances of playing singles for the United States Davis Cup team.
2010: French Open Debut
John Isner secured his first direct seeding at a Grand Slam event in the 2010 French Open. He won his first singles match at Roland Garros and reached the third round. Isner and Sam Querrey withdrew from doubles.
2010: 2010 Wimbledon Epic
John Isner played Nicolas Mahut in the first round of the 2010 Wimbledon Championships. This historic match became the longest tennis match in history, foreshadowing another marathon match against Kevin Anderson at the same tournament in 2018.
2010: Davis Cup Debut against Serbia
John Isner made his Davis Cup debut in 2010, playing against Serbia. He lost both of his singles matches against Novak Djokovic and Viktor Troicki but won the doubles match with Bob Bryan.
2010: Legg Mason Tennis Classic
Isner competed at the 2010 Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington, D.C., the site of his 2007 breakthrough. He reached the round of 16 in singles and withdrew from doubles with Querrey due to shoulder concerns.
2010: Isner's Wimbledon First Round Victory
In the first round of the 2010 Wimbledon Championships, John Isner defeated Nicolas Mahut in a record-breaking match with a score of 6–4, 3–6, 6–7, 7–6, 70–68.
2010: Indian Wells Performance
In 2010, as the 15th seed, John Isner reached the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells before being defeated by Rafael Nadal.
2010: Australian Open Success
In 2010, after Gilles Simon withdrew, John Isner became a seeded player at the Australian Open. He achieved his first victory at the tournament and his first Grand Slam win outside of the US Open, eventually reaching the round of 16 before losing to Andy Murray.
2010: Atlanta and Washington Tournament Participation
In 2010, John Isner reached his fourth final of the year in Atlanta, losing to Mardy Fish. He then competed in the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington, D.C. but withdrew from doubles due to shoulder concerns. He also reached the round of 16 in singles.
2010: First ATP Title
In 2010, John Isner won his first ATP tour title at the Heineken Open in Auckland, defeating Arnaud Clément. He donated $5,000 of his winnings to the Haiti earthquake relief efforts.
2010: Memphis Tournament Results
In 2010, John Isner reached the singles finals of the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships, losing to Sam Querrey. He partnered with Querrey to win the doubles title.
2010: Serbian Open Final and Ranking Improvement
In 2010, John Isner reached his first clay-court final at the Serbian Open, ultimately losing to Sam Querrey. Despite the loss, his performance boosted him to a career-high ranking of No. 19.
2010: Longest Professional Tennis Match
In 2010, John Isner played the longest professional tennis match in history, defeating Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon.
2010: Longest Tennis Match
In 2010, John Isner played in the longest tennis match in history, a first-round Wimbledon match against Nicolas Mahut.
2010: 2010 Atlanta Tennis Championships
In 2010, Isner played in the Atlanta Tennis Championships final, losing to Mardy Fish.
2010: First Longest Match
In 2010 John Isner played in the longest match of all time at Wimbledon, and because of the length of his matches all four majors adopted 10-point tiebreakers by 2022.
2010: Post-Match Fame and Appearances
Following the historic match with Mahut in 2010, Isner gained significant media attention, appearing on shows like Good Morning America and the Late Show, and even throwing the first pitch at a Yankees game. He and Mahut also won an ESPY Award.
2010: US Open Performance and Ranking Drop
Despite an ankle injury, John Isner played in the 2010 US Open. He reached the third round before losing to Mikhail Youzhny. This loss resulted in him dropping out of the top 20 and to the No. 4 ranked American. Isner withdrew from doubles competition due to his injury.
2010: Top 20 Ranking Achieved
Despite a first-round loss at the 2010 Abierto Mexicano Telcel, John Isner broke into the top 20 of the world rankings for the first time in his career in 2010.
2010: Cincinnati Masters Injury
At the 2010 Cincinnati Masters, John Isner retired from his second-round match due to a right ankle injury. Despite the injury, which was initially diagnosed as a ligament tear, he decided to participate in the US Open.
2010: Davis Cup, China Open, and Shanghai Masters
After the US Open in 2010, John Isner played in the Davis Cup, partnering with Mardy Fish to win the doubles match against Colombia. He then competed in the China Open, reaching the semifinals before losing to Novak Djokovic. He also played in the Shanghai Masters, where he lost to Roger Federer in the second round, their first encounter since the 2007 US Open.
2011: US Remains in Davis Cup World Group
The United States remained in the 2011 Davis Cup World Group.
2011: Heineken Open Title Defense
In 2011, John Isner returned to Auckland to defend his Heineken Open title. He won his second-round match but lost in the quarterfinals to David Nalbandian.
2011: 2011 French Open and Wimbledon
In 2011, at the French Open, Isner took a two-sets-to-one lead against Rafael Nadal but ultimately lost. At Wimbledon, he won his first-round rematch against Nicolas Mahut but lost in the second round to Nicolás Almagro.
2011: 2011 US Open Quarterfinal
Isner reached the quarterfinals of the 2011 US Open. It would be some time before he reached another Grand Slam quarterfinal, occurring at Wimbledon in 2018.
2011: US Open Quarterfinals
In 2011, John Isner reached the quarterfinals of the US Open.
2011: 2011 Atlanta Tennis Championships and Legg Mason Tennis Classic
In 2011, Isner reached the final of the Atlanta Tennis Championships, where he lost to Mardy Fish in a rematch of the 2010 final. He also reached the semifinals of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, losing to Gaël Monfils.
2011: 2011 US Open
In 2011, Isner reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the US Open, where he was defeated by Andy Murray.
2011: Australian Open Performance and Challenging Draw
As the 20th seed in the 2011 Australian Open, John Isner faced a difficult draw. He won his first and second-round matches, including a comeback victory against Radek Štěpánek, but lost in the third round to Marin Čilić in five sets.
2011: 2011 Hall of Fame Tennis Championships
In 2011, Isner won the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, his first grass-court final and second career title, defeating Olivier Rochus. This ended a three-match losing streak in finals and raised his ranking from 48 to 36.
January 2012: Lacoste and Prince Sponsorship
As of January 2012, John Isner was sponsored by Lacoste for clothing and Prince for rackets.
March 19, 2012: 2012 Indian Wells Masters
On March 19, 2012, Isner reached the final of the Indian Wells Masters, beating Novak Djokovic in the semifinals but losing to Roger Federer in the final. He also reached the doubles final with Sam Querrey and entered the top 10 in singles rankings.
2012: 2012 Atlanta Tennis Championships and Rogers Cup
In 2012, Isner reached the semifinals of the Atlanta Tennis Championships, losing to Andy Roddick. He also reached the quarterfinals of the Rogers Cup, beating Milos Raonic but losing to Richard Gasquet.
2012: 2012 Australian Open and Davis Cup
In 2012, Isner reached the third round of the Australian Open, losing to Feliciano López. He also helped the US defeat Switzerland in the Davis Cup, beating Roger Federer and Marco Chiudinelli.
2012: 2012 London Olympics
In 2012, Isner was featured on special edition Coke cans for the London Olympics. He lost in the quarterfinals to Roger Federer in singles and lost in the first round of men's doubles with Andy Roddick.
2012: 2012 Wimbledon Championships and Hall of Fame Tennis Championships
In 2012, Isner was upset in the first round of Wimbledon by Alejandro Falla. He then won the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships for the second consecutive year, defeating Nicolas Mahut.
2012: 2012 Winston-Salem Open and US Open
In 2012, Isner won the Winston-Salem Open for the second consecutive year, defeating Tomáš Berdych in the final. At the US Open, he lost in the third round to Philipp Kohlschreiber.
2012: 2012 Open de Nice Côte d'Azur
In 2012, as the top seed at the Open de Nice Côte d'Azur, Isner lost in the quarterfinals to Nikolay Davydenko.
2012: 2012 French Open
In 2012, at the French Open, Isner lost in the second round to Paul-Henri Mathieu in the second-longest match in Roland Garros history.
2012: 2012 Indian Wells Masters Rematch
In 2012, Isner played against Novak Djokovic in the semifinals of the Indian Wells Masters.
2012: Split with Boynton
In 2012 John Isner parted ways with coach Craig Boynton.
2013: 2013 French Open
In 2013, at the French Open, Isner came back from two sets down to beat Ryan Harrison in the first round and then leveled his match against Tommy Haas after being down two sets, saving 12 match points in the fourth set, but ultimately lost in the fifth.
2013: 2013 Western & Southern Open and US Open
In 2013, Isner reached the final of the Western & Southern Open, beating three top-10 players (Milos Raonic, Novak Djokovic, Juan Martín del Potro) before losing to Rafael Nadal. He then withdrew from Winston-Salem and lost in the third round of the US Open to Philipp Kohlschreiber.
2013: 2013 Citi Open and Rogers Cup
In 2013, Isner reached the final of the Citi Open in Washington, losing to Juan Martín del Potro. He then lost in the first round of the Rogers Cup to Vasek Pospisil.
2013: 2013 Apia International Sydney and Australian Open Withdrawal
In 2013, Isner lost in the second round of the Apia International Sydney to Ryan Harrison. He then withdrew from the Australian Open due to a knee injury.
2013: 2013 Topshelf Open
In 2013, Isner lost in the first round of the Topshelf Open to Evgeny Donskoy.
2014: Split with Sell
After working with Mike Sell from 2012 to 2014, Isner moved on to another coach.
2014: New Coach
At the end of 2014, Isner hired Justin Gimelstob as his new coach.
2014: 2014 Hopman Cup
In 2014, Isner and Sloane Stephens represented the US at the Hopman Cup, defeating Spain but losing to France and the Czech Republic.
2014: 2014 Indian Wells Masters
In 2014, Isner reached the semifinals of the Indian Wells Masters, defeating Nikolay Davydenko, Lu Yen-hsun, Fernando Verdasco, and Ernests Gulbis before losing to Novak Djokovic. This secured his return to the top 10.
2014: 2014 Wimbledon Championships
In 2014, Isner reached the third round of Wimbledon, losing to Feliciano López.
2014: 2014 Heineken Open and Australian Open
In 2014, Isner won the Heineken Open, defeating Lu Yen-hsun. He then retired from his first-round match at the Australian Open due to an ankle injury.
2015: Continued Lacoste Sponsorship
John Isner continued his sponsorship with Lacoste for attire through much of 2015.
April 2016: Coaching Change
In April 2016 John Isner stopped working with Justin Gimelstob as his coach.
2016: FILA Sponsorship
John Isner switched to FILA for his attire starting at the 2016 Australian Open.
2016: 2016 Season Summary Concluded
In 2016, John Isner won the Shanghai Masters doubles title with Jack Sock and reached the final of the BNP Paribas Masters, finishing the year as the no. 1 American. However, he remained titleless in singles for the first time since 2009.
2016: Fastest Official Serve
In 2016, John Isner recorded the ATP's fastest official serve ever at 157.2 mph during a Davis Cup match.
2016: 2016 Season Summary
In 2016, John Isner reached the quarterfinals in Auckland, the fourth round of the Australian Open, and the fourth round of the French Open. He also helped the United States upset Australia in the Davis Cup.
2016: 2016 Season Summary Continued
In 2016, Isner reached the final at the Atlanta Open, lost the title of top-ranked American man briefly, and was unable to defend his fourth-round points at the US Open.
2016: 2016 Season Summary Continued
During 2016, Isner reached the fourth round at the BNP Paribas Open, experienced early upsets at the Miami Open and in grass tournaments, but achieved his second career fourth-round appearance at the French Open.
December 2, 2017: Marriage
John Isner married jewelry designer Madison McKinley on December 2, 2017, in Bluffton, South Carolina.
2017: 2017 Season Summary Continued
In 2017, Isner competed at Wimbledon, winning his first round but losing in the second. He then won his first singles title of the year at the Hall of Fame Open in Newport.
2017: 2017 Season Summary
In 2017, John Isner reached the quarterfinals of several tournaments, including the ASB Classic, Memphis Open, and the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships, and reached the semifinals in Rome. He also progressed to the third round at the French Open.
January 2018: Start of 2018 Season
John Isner began 2018 with losses at the Auckland Open and the Australian Open. Despite this slow start, 2018 would become his most successful year in Grand Slam results.
July 13, 2018: Second Longest Match
On July 13, 2018, John Isner competed in the second-longest match in tennis history, losing to Kevin Anderson at Wimbledon.
July 2018: Career High Singles Ranking
In July 2018, John Isner achieved his career-high singles ranking of world No. 8 after winning the Miami Open and reaching the Wimbledon semifinals.
2018: Moller and Macpherson as Coaches
As of 2018, Isner worked with coaches Rene Moller and David Macpherson.
2018: 2018 Wimbledon and French Open
In 2018, Isner achieved his first Grand Slam semifinal at Wimbledon, losing a marathon match to Kevin Anderson. He also reached the fourth round of the French Open.
2018: Second Longest Tennis Match
In 2018, John Isner played in the second-longest tennis match in history against Kevin Anderson in the Wimbledon semifinals.
2018: Second Longest Match and Tiebreak Rule Change
In part due to Isner's involvement in extraordinarily long matches, like the second-longest match in history which he played in 2018, Grand Slam tournaments adopted a rule change for the fifth set tiebreaker by 2022.
2018: 2018 Season Highlights
Isner won the Indian Wells doubles title with Jack Sock and the Miami Open singles title, his first Masters 1000 title, boosting his ranking back to world No. 9.
2018: 2018 Season Continued
John Isner won his fifth Atlanta Open title in 2018 and reached the US Open quarterfinals. He skipped the Asian tour after the birth of his child.
2019: 2019 Season Summary
In 2019, Isner reached the final of the Miami Open but lost to Roger Federer. He finished the year ranked No. 19, marking his tenth consecutive top 20 finish.
2020: Start of 2020 Season
Isner started 2020 by reaching the semifinals at the ASB Classic and the third round of the Australian Open before retiring due to injury.
July 2021: Doubles Title at Los Cabos Open
In July 2021, Isner won his sixth ATP doubles title at the Los Cabos Open with Hans Hach Verdugo.
August 16, 2021: Canadian Open Semifinal and Ranking Boost
On August 16, 2021, Isner reached the semifinals of the Canadian Open, beating multiple seeded players. This boosted his ranking to No. 26.
2021: 2021 Season and Ranking Drop
In 2021, Isner dropped out of the top 30 for the first time in 10 years after not defending his points at the Miami Open. Despite a quarterfinal appearance at the Madrid Open, he didn't recover his ranking. This marked the first time no American men were in the top 30 since 1973.
2021: 2021 French Open
Isner reached the third round of the 2021 French Open, losing to Stefanos Tsitsipas.
2021: Sixth Atlanta Open Title
John Isner won his record sixth Atlanta Open title in 2021.
May 16, 2022: Masters 1000 Doubles Finals
On May 16, 2022, John Isner reached the top 20 in doubles rankings after becoming the first player to reach three Masters 1000 doubles finals with different partners in a single year. He reached the semifinals of the Italian Open with Diego Schwartzman.
2022: Fifth-Set Tiebreaker Rule Change
By 2022 all four Grand Slam tournaments adopted 10-point fifth-set tiebreakers, partially influenced by Isner's history of playing extremely long matches.
2022: Wimbledon Performance and Ace Record
During the 2022 Wimbledon Championships, Isner broke Ivo Karlovic's record for career aces, surpassing 13,728. He also became the fifth man since 1991 to hit 1000 aces at Wimbledon. Although hitting many aces and winning earlier matches, he lost to Jannik Sinner in the third round.
2022: Sunshine Double Victory
In 2022, John Isner achieved the rare "Sunshine Double" by winning the Indian Wells and Miami Open doubles titles. He won Indian Wells with Jack Sock and Miami with Hubert Hurkacz, becoming only the second man to achieve this feat since Jakob Hlasek in 1989.
2022: Return to Competition
Isner returned to competition at the 2022 Rolex Paris Masters, reaching the second round before losing to Andrey Rublev.
2022: US Open Withdrawal
John Isner withdrew from the second round of the 2022 US Open due to a wrist injury sustained in the first round.
June 12, 2023: Exit from Top 100 and Dallas Open
On June 12, 2023, John Isner exited the top 100 of the ATP rankings. Earlier in the year at the Dallas open, he reached his 31st final.
August 2023: Retirement Announcement
In August 2023, John Isner announced that the US Open would be his last professional tournament.
August 31, 2023: Retirement from Professional Tennis
On August 31, 2023, John Isner retired from professional tennis after the US Open.
September 1, 2023: Retirement
John Isner retired from professional tennis on September 1, 2023, after his final matches at the US Open.