When you have your name etched in the top 10 of any category of any sport, you know you are doing something right. John Isner, as of 2018, is ranked on the top 10 in the men’s singles ranking by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).
Besides his top 10 ranking, he is also regarded as one of the best servers of the ATP World Tour and holds the record of 3rd highest aces in the ATP’s history, having served over 10,000 aces. Isner and Nicolas Mahut also hold the record of playing the longest professional tennis match in the history of the game. The match lasted a duration of 11 hours and 5 minutes and was played over the course of three days.
John Isner’s Biography
The tennis professional was born in Greensboro, California, on April 26, 1985. He was just 11 years old when he decided he wanted to make a career out of the game of tennis. This led him to a period of competitive play for the Westside Swim and Tennis Club in his native Greensboro throughout his growing days. John Isner went to Walter Hines Page Senior High School, Greensboro, and graduated with a degree in speech communication from the University of Georgia.
Career
Isner’s career started off with a bang in 2007. At the time, his world ranking was No.839. After just one month, he won the USA F14 Futures and defeated three seeds and five players in the top-300 to clinch the Lexington Challenger and improve his ranking to No. 416.
He continued to plough his way through the players of the tennis elite. He recorded victories against the likes of Tommy Haas and Rik de Voest in the US Open and Masters Series. After stints in the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon, he ended 2008 with a world ranking of 144.
In 2009, Isner recorded his first-ever win against top-10 opponents in Gaël Monfils, Marat Safin, and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in major events. However, he withdrew from the French Open and missed the Wimbledon after he was diagnosed with mononucleosis. He was voted the ATP Most Improved Player for 2009.
John Isner secured his first ATP tour title in 2010 when he defeated Arnaud Clément in the final in Auckland. This victory earned him a world ranking of 30. This continuous ascendency also saw him selected by Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe as one of the players to represent the US in the 2010 US Davis Cup World Group.
Isner was ranked No.19 in the world by the time the 2010 Wimbledon came around. In his first round, he played out a gruelling 11-hour game with Nicolas Mahut in three days, making it the longest ever match in the history of professional tennis.
At the end of 2010 and 2011, Isner finished in the top 20, making the No.18 spot his own. Although John Isner continued to lose to the top dogs like , Andy Murray, and Novak Djokovic, he had pushed himself to a career-high year-ending rank of 11 by the end of 2015.
In 2016, he lost to Andy Murray in the final of the Paris Masters, making it his first year without a singles title since 2009. On July 30, 2017, John won the Atlanta BB&T Open for the fourth time in his career, defeating fellow American Ryan Harrison.
After an abysmal start to 2018, crashing out of the Auckland Open and the Australian Open, Isner bounced back, beating at the Miami Open to clinch his first ever Masters 1000 title. This saw him climb back into the top 10 with his career-high ranking of No.9.
John Isner’s Net Worth
Since he started his professional career Isner has not done badly for himself. His participation in top events, victories against top-ranked players and his titles have done plenty to raise his net worth. Having won over $14 million in competition prize money, Celebrity Net Worth, values the player at $4 million
Family and Wife
John Isner is married to Madison McKinley, a fashion designer cum ranch hand and all-around nature lover. The couple dated for a long time before John popped the question in June 2017. They got married in a country themed wedding in South Carolina on December 4, 2017. The wedding was attended by a lot of celebrity athletes and friends of Isner. The couple has no children yet.
McKinley attended Parsons School of Design in New York for three years before transferring to University of Texas, Austin, graduating with a degree in Fine Arts. Madison once spent 10 months living in her family’s ranch at Buffalo, Wyoming.
She is a fashion designer and jewellery maker, whose business is run by her mother who is the CEO of her business.
Other Facts about John Isner
1. Isner Believes in Charity
The pro tennis player is a big believer in charity and the betterment of others. His first ATP tour title came at the 2010 Heineken Open in Auckland. After his winnings, John Isner donated $5000 of his prize money to aid the rescue proceedings in the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake that had happened just four days earlier.
2. He Supports other Sports too
Isner and his wife Madison, are diehard football fans. They are supporters of the Carolina Panthers of the NFL, and the Fremantle Football Club of the Australian Football League.
3. Isner’s Game with Nicolas Mahut Brought him some Level of Fame
After his three-day game with Nicolas Mahut, the tennis player was invited on the Good Morning America show and the Late Show with David Letterman. John Isner and Mahut were both giving the title of Best Record-Breaking Performance in Sport at the 2010 ESPY Awards. Also, Isner got to throw the ceremonial first pitch in the Yankee Stadium at a New York Yankees game.
4. John’s Politics has Earned him Some Backlash
This was most evident was in 2016 when Isner described football player Colin Kaepernick’s protests during the rendition of the United States national anthem as “pathetic”. Kaepernick had knelt down at the singing of the anthem.
Height and Body Measurements
One look at Isner’s towering frame and one is forced to wonder why he didn’t opt for basketball instead. Isner stands at a staggering height of 2.08 m (6 feet 10 inches). He is the third tallest player in the ATP, coming in behind Ivo Karlović and Reilly Opelka. John also maintains a healthy sporting weight of 111 kg (244.7 lbs).
