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CITI OPEN

July 31, 2019

John Isner

Washington D.C.

J. ISNER/H. Hurkacz

6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Seemed like a nice, solid start. You happy with where your game is at, a good start to get in the tournament?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, it was a good start. It could have gone the other way, for sure. The match got off to a bit of a rough start. I had to save a bunch of breakpoints.

I think at a certain point in the match, I started to play really well. Probably 3-All in the first set, I started to pick it up. I was, in my opinion, fortunate to even be at 3-All, so...

I'm happy with the win.

Q. Transitioning from grass a few weeks ago up in Newport here to Washington, how is that going for you?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, I don't consider that transition a difficult one at all. Going from grass to hard I think is pretty easy. I mean, really, you just click into it right away. Going from clay to grass is the big delta, the big learning curve you have to get over. I've done it before: played up in Newport, play a hard court event the next week. The transition for me is pretty easy.

I mean, last week in Atlanta, I just happened to lose a really close match to Reilly, who is a really great player. Had nothing to do with being comfortable on hard courts.

Q. You've been coming here for many years, since 2007. In 2007 you made it to the final, kind of blew up this tournament. Everybody was, John Isner. Now you're 34, married, child. Here there are some teenagers, girls 15 years old, 17 years old, blowing people away, giving tennis a big name. I understand when you first came here, all that being said, you used to be called gramps. Didn't Andy Roddick used to call you gramps?
JOHN ISNER: Grandpa. That was my name from college.

Q. Given all that age difference, do you feel like grandpa here now?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, no, it's crazy to think about. I mean, 2007 doesn't really seem like that long ago. It's nuts. It's crazy to think...

I rarely play a match on tour nowadays where I'm the younger player. It will happen every so often. I'm certainly a veteran at this point. I've been on the tour for the better part of 12 years now.

But I think one thing I have going for me is we've all seen how tennis has evolved, both sides of the game, men and women can play into their 30s. It's encouraging for me.

I think tennis is in a unique spot, a very cool spot. You have the older generation. Talk about the top three. The rankings haven't changed in 10 years. It's amazing. Then you have all these young guys that are very, very good. They've emerged in the last two years, trying to dethrone all the older guys ranked ahead of them. It's a cool mix of guys right now on the ATP Tour.

Q. Why were you called grandpa in college?
JOHN ISNER: I just move slow. It's not just on the court. I'm slow on the court, too. Just takes me a while to get going. Just one of those things, yeah.

It's not like I'm doing my hair or anything. Just can't get off the couch.

Q. There's been more spotlight on doubles this tournament. Two matches, first-round matches, on the main court which is pretty rare at a tournament like this. You're a guy who has been a top 10 singles player, played some doubles. What would it take for the big-name singles guys to play doubles more often? The presence of singles guys is what drives these doubles that have happened.
JOHN ISNER: I mean, I don't know who it would take for that to happen on a consistent basis. I don't see it happening. I mean, I can just speak for myself. At this tournament, I mean, I love playing doubles, but it's just too much. I think I was fortunate to play at 2:00 today. I just want to go home. I don't want to wait around and play doubles at 8:00. At a certain point it just becomes a little too much on your body.

There are certain times of the year where doubles makes a lot of sense. I think Indian Wells is one, considering it's a 10-day event. Maybe the week before Shanghai or something like that.

For singles players, for high-ranked singles players, it's just not a priority at all. You have to prioritize singles over everything else. That's what all the high-ranked singles guys are here for, to try to win the singles event, not doubles at all.

I don't see it happening any time soon. But as you said, it's very cool to see big-time singles players play doubles. It does put a nice spotlight on the game.

Q. How has your approach to playing changed since you've become a parent? Has it affected your scheduling?
JOHN ISNER: Hasn't really affected my scheduling. I mean, pretty fortunate that my wife and daughter have been able to travel quite a bit. I think it's just affected me in a good way. I think it takes a lot of pressure off of my tennis actually because, win or lose, I get to go home and be happy. I think that's a very good thing.

Really since I got engaged, I've been playing some pretty good tennis, at a pretty advanced age. I think it's a good thing. In this sport, it's all about getting in the right mindset more than anything. We all practice so hard, we all do the right things on the practice court, off the court, in the gym. So much between the ears.

That's what everyone's trying to accomplish all the time, is just get themselves in the right mental state to get out there and play the right way.

Q. How big a Carolina Hurricanes fan are you? Have you gotten any comments seeing how the Canes dusted the Caps in the playoffs?
JOHN ISNER: Very small logo, good eye. I'm a huge Hurricanes fan. I was at three and four of the Washington series, both games. Got to see them tie the series up. Didn't see any after that. I've love the Hurricanes.

Q. Did you do the...
JOHN ISNER: I did it in Game 3 after the first intermission, before they came out for the second period I did it this year.

Had a lot of fun going to playoff hockey. Ben can attest, he was at one of the games in Raleigh, one of the Islander games. Playoff hockey in general.

That's where I'm from. I love the Hurricanes. I just love hockey in general. Probably my favorite sport, it's amazing.

Q. You tend to do well in hot and sunny conditions like today. What about those conditions do you think favors you?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, that's a good question. I think the ball bounces very high in conditions like this, which naturally is very good for me. Now, I don't necessarily love playing in the heat. It does wear on me quite a bit.

In a match like that, where I get a lead, where I'm up a set, 3-1, those conditions are perfect. I just have to try to hold onto my serve and the match is over.

I love conditions like that. Conditions here I think are a bit slower than Atlanta last week. Those courts were really fast. I always prefer playing on slow courts that bounce pretty high. These aren't super slow by any means. They're a nice, medium pace.

These conditions, this weather, it does suit my game very well.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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