THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 1, 2022

John Isner

Press Conference

J. SINNER/J. Isner

6-4, 7-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Your thoughts on today's match.

JOHN ISNER: Yeah, I just wasn't good enough today. Jannik did a lot of really good things, I thought.

Yeah, I just needed to be better if I had any chance of beating him. Needed to be on top of my game, and unfortunately I wasn't. A lot of that had to do with him, though.

He was most definitely the better player out there I thought today. He's a really amazing talent, I think. No shame in losing to him, but wish I could have done a little bit more out there.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Sorry for your loss. Speaking a little bit more on Sinner, what are your potential thoughts on him and his potential?

JOHN ISNER: Yeah, I mean, I don't want to make any grand proclamations up here, but he definitely has what it takes to do some very good things in this game, especially when the older guard exits. He's got a long runway ahead of him to do some good things.

I think in probably four or five years, you'll see him at the very top, I think. Probably less than that, actually.

Q. Following up on that, I know with the loss, how will you look back on beating Andy on Centre Court and setting the career aces record today?

JOHN ISNER: Yeah, for sure, that's a huge moment for me, to be able to beat him on that court. I won't soon forget that, there is no doubt.

You know, I feel like it's becoming a little bit harder to put together back-to-back, like really good matches at a tournament like this. It's a little unfortunate.

Yeah, I played exceptionally well. In my mind, I guess I turned back the clock a little bit the other night.

I'm actually very happy to break the record here. To do it at this tournament I think is pretty cool. Makes it maybe a little more special than to do it at a tournament not of this magnitude.

Q. You're asked continually about the marathon match and continually about the state of American tennis, but you are our guy in a certain way. We have had this surge here. Do you feel any chemistry, any locker room buzz? Your thoughts on it? Can you just give us something about the good success?

JOHN ISNER: Yeah, well, I don't think this is too out of the ordinary to see a lot of American guys still be alive in the tournament, because there is something like eight of us in the top 50, I think. It's very encouraging to see.

You want to, first and foremost, get maybe at least two players in the top 10, and then maybe you can really talk about some of these guys doing some good things. I think that is still to come, actually.

Yeah, I know Frances and Tommy in the round of 16, and, you know, there is a handful of guys tomorrow that have an opportunity to meet them in that round, as well. They are doing great.

Q. Probably you more than any American athlete knows or senses what it takes to sort of go all the way in a slam. You just said we first have to get a couple guys in the top 10. Just fill in a little bit more. Obviously it's been the era of the big four. What else do we have to do to climb the mountain and get to the very top?

JOHN ISNER: Just play really well. Simple as that. Just work hard and play well. It will happen. Yeah.

Q. My first question is do you think that you could do something better today, or Sinner was too strong? Secondly, what's the thing that most impressed you about him?

JOHN ISNER: I think a little bit of both. I thought he was really impressive today, but I just needed to be a little bit more aggressive, I think, the times that I had.

When you are not aggressive against him, he hits the ball with such pace from the baseline. He has such incredible timing. He's just blessed with really good groundstrokes, you know. Hits the ball really hard, and he makes it very tough for you if you are not on offense against him.

I thought he did a lot of good things today. He was much better than I was, so he certainly deserved the win out there.

As I said earlier, I think before you walked in, there is no shame in losing to him, in my opinion. He's an incredible player. But of course I do wish I could have made it a little bit more competitive.

Q. Congrats on your record.

JOHN ISNER: Thanks. Thank you.

Q. Congratulations for your record. Talking about Jannik, if you compare his improvements and progressions compared to a younger great player, Carlos Alcaraz, who has the brightest future, according to you?

JOHN ISNER: It's too hard to tell right now. It really is. I mean, I can't...

Q. Who is advance? Maybe Carlos?

JOHN ISNER: Well, they play each other next match, right? Is that right? Jannik plays Carlos?

I don't know how many times they have played before, but I don't know if they played in a Grand Slam, but I think this is a matchup that we will be seeing a lot. Well, hopefully we will see a lot in the next ten years, these two guys, going at it at a tournament like this or other Grand Slams or other big tournaments.

As for who has a brighter future, I think both of them are two of the brightest. I mean, they are going to be at the top of the game, I think, for a long time.

Q. I have an extremely random and different question. People really like your takes on sports in general. We just saw a North Carolina guy, Steph Curry, just light it up, NBA finals. And of course Michael Jordan has a great North Carolina connection, arguably the best athlete with a North Carolina connection. With these two guys, what would you say you can learn or their brilliance, their athletic brilliance shows us or teaches us?

JOHN ISNER: Well, I don't think at this stage I can learn too much from them right now. I mean, for any young athlete, no matter the sport, you can of course always look up to Michael Jordan and watch the film about how good of a competitor he was, what made him the greatest basketball player of all time.

Then Steph Curry, obviously he's changed the game, for sure. You're right. Both of them from North Carolina. I think that's very cool.

Obviously Michael is a Hall of Famer. Steph of course is going to be a Hall of Famer, as well. In my mind they are two of the top five greatest players ever. Definitely both of them inspire, should inspire a lot of young kids to do some very good things.

Q. Curry, quick release, finding his shot, is that in any way like sort of the quick flick, the quick hit and power of Roger in any way, the movement and power, or...

JOHN ISNER: Yeah, I mean, it's probably the greatest shot of all time, his jump shot, his three-point ball. Yeah, I mean, put him up there with the greats of any sport, for sure.

Q. Looking ahead, what are your plans for the summer?

JOHN ISNER: Yeah, I definitely will be playing Atlanta. Hopefully the two Masters Series events. Of course the US Open all culminates with that.

I feel good, though. I haven't been playing that much lately. I feel fresh. I don't feel like I need to rest, you know, which is a good thing.

But my first summer plan is to go to North Carolina tomorrow actually, because my wife and kids are with my parents right now there. I'm going to go visit them and spend the 4th with them.

When I get back home, I will get back to work and, you know, try to get a little bit better at tennis, because this is my job and it's very unique and very cool that I get to just essentially work out for a living and play a sport that I love to do. Try to get myself in good shape to do well this summer.