	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

MIAMI OPEN PRESENTED BY ITAÃº

April 1, 2018

John Isner

Miami, Florida

J. ISNER/A. Zverev

6-7, 6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. So how does it feel? Finally a Masters 1000 and the way you won it today?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, it's incredible. I mean, you know, to come back, as well, after, you know, a pretty disappointing first set, a first set I had certainly some chances in and some break points, and was serving at 4-3 in the tiebreaker and lost four straight points.

You know, at that point I was actually exhausted. Somewhere along in the second set I found a second wind, and I felt so much better in the second set and the third set than I did in the first set.

To win like that in front of a crowd like that, with that atmosphere, you can't replicate moments like that. It was absolutely amazing.

Q. That was a touching trophy presentation, the way you guys spoke. Can you tell us a little bit more about what your relationship with him was like at Saddlebrook?
JOHN ISNER: Well, yeah. You know, Sascha would kind of follow his older brother Mischa around, and at some point one of my coaches told me, Watch out for this kid.

And then I started practicing with him when he was 14, 15 years old, and he's beating me at 15 years old. I'm, like, Oh, my gosh. He's the real deal.

Everything he's accomplished, I'm not surprised in the least. It's just kind of unique that someone that I was so much older than and practicing with when he was 14, 15, is now one of the best players in the world. So I never could have imagined I would play him in a match like that when I first met him at 14 years old. He's super talented.

Q. The fact that it was the last men's final here at Key Biscayne, did that add, you think, to the atmosphere and the importance of it? What does it mean to you, the fact that it's the last men's final here?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, it's crazy. I mean, this tournament has so much history. I mean, all the best players have played here thought the years.

For Sascha and I to share the court in the last men's singles match ever here at this tournament is amazing. I mean, I never thought I would be in this moment considering how I was playing coming into this event.

For me to come out the winner in the last men's singles match ever here is pretty unique. I mean, I of course watched this tournament, and I think I maybe played the Orange Bowl one time down here and never -- this is crazy.

Q. A clean sweep of American champions thus far.
JOHN ISNER: Yeah. Sloane, as she showed yesterday, you know, that she steps up in the big stage with, you know, the US Open and here. I think she had gone through a losing streak, and she was telling everyone to relax. She was absolutely right about that.

Then Bob and Mike winning yesterday, I think the real credit goes to -- I share a coach with Bob and Mike, David Macpherson, and that's a clean sweep right there.

Q. Tomorrow you're going to be again into the top 10, getting into the 9th position. You're reaching the best ranking that you ever had. How do you feel about that? And how do you feel about almost being accomplished a whole American weekend in the last weekend of the Miami Open here in Key Biscayne?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, no, look, when you get into the business end of tournaments like this, you're playing for so much. I mean, you're playing for huge points. You know, in a match like this, it can determine whether you're ranked, you finish -- it's just a big deal to get in a finals of an event like this.

So for me to, having come in here having won one match and to leave this tournament back to top 10 in the world -- I think I got there in 2012 and I got back there in 2014, and now I have matched my high ranking in 2018, so I have done it three times.

It's up to me now to keep pushing forward. This is a big hurdle for me, mentally more than anything, to get over the hump in a tournament like this. I will have many more tournaments like this and see if I can maybe give myself another opportunity.

Q. Was there any technical or David-related change or alteration that helped account for how you performed here? Or was it just that you caught a wave and...
JOHN ISNER: No, it was nothing technical. It was more mental. From the moment -- the first dinner we had, I think it was maybe Wednesday before, you know, when the tournament had just started, we spoke -- we had dinner and we hashed out, or I especially hashed out what's been holding me back, and it's not more reps on the court. I mean, I'm doing that. It's not more time in the gym. I have been doing that. It was just mental things and myself being tight and tentative on the court holding me back. That's the reason why I was losing close matches.

We cleared that hurdle this week. So I went into every match, you know, super fresh mentally and loose. We kept, after each match I won, we would have another dinner, have another dinner, have another dinner, and we kept hammering that point, just be loose, and I will be a force if I can play freely, and I was able to do that.

Q. Are you surprised that at your age, at 32, and a new father, do you think that maybe your age, wisdom, fatherhood -- you have a child, right?
JOHN ISNER: No.

Q. Oh, I'm sorry. (Laughter.)
JOHN ISNER: I was, like, What the -- jeez! What's going on? (Laughter.)

Q. Married life, family life.
JOHN ISNER: Yeah. Hopefully in the future, of course. Yeah.

Q. Family life, then, just growing up some, mentally in your life. Sorry about that.
JOHN ISNER: No, that's fine. It's funny.

Q. Do you think that mentally you're maybe more stable because your family life has changed recently?
JOHN ISNER: I think so. I mean, I think you have seen other players in the past that play well when they get engaged or get married. I think Andy Murray is one, for sure.

As you said, my personal life is very stable. There's no issues there. I'm so happy where I'm at in my personal life.

And you're right. That does help. It settles things down. You do realize that there are a lot more important things than tennis. I always -- I always realize, as well, how lucky I am to play a sport for a living.

So I have been put in a very fortunate position. I'm married to the love of my life, and I play a sport for a living. It's pretty special.

Q. This is a very personal question. Is not about your about-to-be-born son. In the ceremony, trophy ceremony, you had a very kind words to your physical therapist, chiropractic, right?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah.

Q. What is he doing? What's the special thing he does to keep you as competitive, as healthy as you have been this whole week? Your return was incredible.
JOHN ISNER: Well, yeah, I have been with Clint for six years. It's not anything that he did this week. It's what he's done through the course of the six years that we have been together.

And I have been very healthy for six years, as well, I will knock on wood. That is in large part to him: adjusting, putting this machine on me, or massage. It's everything. There is so much that goes into it. Every player will tell you that's critical.

So physically, at 32, I feel great, the best I have felt in a while. And that's, as I said, that's in large part to him. I mean, there is a component of practicing and getting in the gym, but then the other half of the battle is taking care of yourself. That's what I do and that's what he does for me.

Q. Obviously you're not taking the Belgians lightly, but with you winning here, I would think that has to give the American team and yourself a major confidence boost going into this Davis Cup quarterfinal.
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, for sure. I think all of us are, especially me now, I'm definitely playing well, I will go into this tie very confident, and I think the other guys will be confident, as well.

You know, as I said, Captain Courier has so many options at his disposal. He can throw any five of us on singles on Friday and any two of us on doubles on Saturday.

We'll see how it shakes out. I will get to Nashville Tuesday, and if need be, I'll be ready to go on Friday.

Q. How much more special is for you to have won your first Masters 1000 on Easter Sunday?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, it's very special. It's incredible. I wrote on the camera, "He is risen."

Q. Amen?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah. Amen, yeah. It's very special, very important. I don't talk about it too much, but that's an important piece of my life. Even more so now that I'm married and some stuff that my wife and I always talk about. Whenever we are in town, we always go to church. I missed the service this morning, of course, but it's very, very special. It's an incredible day.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297