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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 2, 2019

John Isner

Wimbledon, London, England

J. ISNER/C. Ruud

6-3, 6-4, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How is the first match back? How do you feel?
JOHN ISNER: I feel pretty good. Yeah, I'm happy. I was just happy to be back out there. Of course happy to win. So I think the theme today was just sort of -- it was touch and go for a little bit whether I was going to play this tournament. So I was just happy to be back out there.

If I didn't win, as long as I walked off the court healthy, I would have been happy with that. I don't care. I never think about how I did last year or losing these points or defending these points at all. I'm just happy to be out there and played free. Just see what happens.

Q. What ultimately made you decide to play?
JOHN ISNER: I got some good news finally from doctors. They told me they think my foot is ready to go, which it wasn't at Roland Garros. I just needed really three more weeks.

Of course I would have liked a little more practice coming into here, but, I mean, I think -- I'm maybe one player who can do okay without much practice. I just wasn't able to. I wasn't able to get on the court.

Q. How did you feel about your prospects for this tournament coming in? Does that change after the first match or still the same?
JOHN ISNER: I mean, not great, to be honest, because, I mean, I literally did not hit a ball for, like, 10 weeks up until a couple days before coming over here.

You can't just feel great about that. I was doing everything I could to stay in shape and stay strong, but there is a lot of stuff I couldn't do. So again, as I just mentioned before, I'm just very happy to be able to get over here. I have just been enjoying it ever since I have gotten here.

Q. What's it like at this stage of your career to have a pretty long, pretty hefty period of time off the tour with injury?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, it was tough, for sure. I can't -- apart from having mono I think 10 years ago, I never missed this much time before with injury. When this did happen, I consider myself very lucky. You know, this could have -- this foot injury could have easily happened in my second match in Miami, I feel like. Maybe I was spared a little bit that it happened in the final.

It was disappointing, but at the same time, it's not like I was missing the hard courts in the U.S. Of course, I mean, you never want to miss a Grand Slam, but, you know, if there is a period of time to miss, I'll take that.

Q. If you had been healthy, you and probably Kevin would have been among the fourth or fifth favorites at this tournament. But now you're flying under the radar. Is it nice to be not talked about as much as you otherwise would have been?
JOHN ISNER: I mean, I don't think I deserve to be talked about that much at all. I mean, I've been in one semifinal in my whole career, so, you know, again, I don't deserve right now to be talked about as one of the top eight favorites, I don't think, at all. Maybe if I win a few more, then we can talk.

Q. What are your thoughts about Fritz? I mean, you said, you know, he played so much on the clay, really made a strong effort there, good results. Then to beat Sam at Eastbourne, another win here.
JOHN ISNER: He's coming into his own, for sure. I believe he's played every single week since Houston, if I'm not mistaken. So that's pretty impressive. It pays to be young, like him.

So, look, he likes to be out on the court, and he likes to compete, I think, more than anything. He's got a lot of attributes game-wise, but I think more than anything, he really likes to compete.

He's showing that. Any time you win your first tour title, it's a big accomplishment, so he definitely should have a lot of confidence right now.

Q. Have you ever spoken to him or shared any thoughts about fathering with him?
JOHN ISNER: Not really. But we're both on that journey, for sure. I mean, he's doing it at a very young age, so that's probably pretty tricky to balance. I think at any age it is. I think I saw his little kid here, actually, as well. I'm sure he's having a great time with him.

Q. Thoughts on Kukushkin?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, I didn't know I was playing him until, like, five minutes ago. He hits the ball very flat, especially on the backhand side. It's almost like underspin. Whereas my opponent today, I think, fortunately for me hit the ball with a lot of topspin.

He's gonna do what he does, keep the ball very low. It's going to be tricky for me because, as you know, I'm a big guy. I have played him a few times, and he has given me some trouble because he can hit some very good shots that can sort of frustrate you at times. His backhand is very good.

It will be a tough match, for sure. Do what I do on serve and see what happens after that.

Q. This is a question I'm sure you get so often, but with Tsitsipas and Thiem and Zverev going down, it just emphasizes the dominance that the top three guys have.
JOHN ISNER: Yeah.

Q. Just talk about that. What do you think is the reality? Can you bring some insight on their dominance for so many years?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, it's incredible. I mean, eventually they will slow down, but it doesn't seem -- maybe that's six years from now. Who knows? But it's very -- it's absolutely remarkable, the stats that the big three have in Masters Series and Grand Slams over the last ten years, even more than that.

So it's incredible. At the same time, it's very -- you can consider yourself very fortunate to play in this era, just to say that you played with these guys week in and week out. But at the same time, it's a bit unfortunate, as well.

But, for me, I'll take it. I have been right in the thick of it. A lot of players have had it worse than me. Look at a guy like Andy Roddick, incredible Hall of Fame player, but he ran up against Roger so many times in big finals. I think without Roger on the scene, Andy could have eight Grand Slams.

Q. They had some real things in common, but their games are quite different. Who if, when all is said and done, is the toughest for you?
JOHN ISNER: I mean, it's so hard to say. And it's amazing to look at the Grand Slam stats. I mean, what has Roger won, 20? And he's, like, shit, like, he can't even say he's the greatest player of all time at 20 Grand Slams. It's incredible. These guys are pushing each other.

Rafa has 18 and then Djokovic is 15, not slowing down. It's remarkable. These guys are pushing each other. I think when all's said and done, it's going to be arguing who's better, Michael or LeBron? It will impossible to tell.

Q. When you were out, you gained a win in your head-to-head on the ATP against Rafa, because they started counting Laver Cup. I'm curious what you make of that, if...
JOHN ISNER: I'll take it (smiling). I'll take it.

You know what? People have asked me how I have done against the big three, and I have said I have never beaten Rafa before, is always my answer. But do you think I can claim it now?

Q. ATP counts it.
JOHN ISNER: Whew. I don't know about that. You have retroactively given me a win against Rafa. I'll take it, certainly. I don't think Rafa is thinking too much about it.

Now that the ATP is involved with the Laver Cup -- I mean, you have never been to a Laver Cup, have you? Are you planning on going? There is no exhibition about it. I can guarantee you that.

Q. It's fun for you guys.
JOHN ISNER: It's fun. Format is different. You play a tiebreaker in the third set. It's a lot of fun. The format for the fans is great. It's not too much tennis. It's a good time.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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