John Isner
I think the more matches that I play, the better shape I'm going to get in. That's the best type of fitness you can do.Collection: Fitness
Taking care of my body and my health is my full-time job.
For me, I relish playing tournaments in America.
That's the most fulfilling thing I've experienced ever, being a father.
As anyone who is a father or mother out there can tell you, it's pretty amazing.
Practicing hard doesn't guarantee you anything.
Sometimes I think the easiest way to introduce what goes into managing the expenses of a tennis career is to take a look at another pro sport and notice some of the differences.
My coaches, trainer and agency have all helped make me the player and the business that I am today.
I love building a team around me, and being able to support a group of people is one of the best feelings I've come to know during my career; I imagine this is what a lot of business owners can relate to this.
Being able to travel with family and friends so they can cheer me on as I play is something it's hard to put a price on; my point is simply that for all of this, there is indeed a price.
People often come up and tell me how much money I make in a year, which is funny because I don't think it's something I've ever said to someone.
A tournament pays me to show up because the fans want to see me and I move the needle at the box office? That's amazing. It's good for tennis, good for me and good for the event. If a sponsor wants to pay to put their company name on my shirt because they think I'm a strong ambassador for their brand? Heck yes.
I've played with Prince racquets my entire career.
The way I see it, the prize money is a reflection of my on-court performance, but the sponsorships are something more personal, connected more to people and fans, and to my values.
Prior to our daughter being born, I think getting married is another big step. That definitely settles things down personally.
Everything has gone pretty fluidly in my personal life, so I think that certainly helps.
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.
If someone had told me at fourteen that I'd be six-ten, I might have stuck with basketball, in all seriousness.
I didn't know I could even be a professional tennis player, honestly. All this is actually very, very unexpected.
In the past, I've played where I only just rely on my serve.
The mental part of the game, being able to free up on the tennis court, is much easier said than done.
Probably the most infamous story in our family: My oldest brother took a U-lock bike lock and locked my head to the bedpost. And he didn't just do this for a minute or two; he did this for a couple hours. I was maybe 8 or 9, and he was maybe 15.
I've done a good job putting some meat on my bones since my freshman year of college. It's taken a lot of work. I was just under 200 pounds my freshman year; I was 6'8' and 198 pounds.
At 19, I didn't have a hair on my face. When I was 20, I looked 14.
A big upper body is not a great thing for tennis, and for me, flexibility is important.
When I left college, I just thought I could play tennis to delay getting a regular job and go there and try to make ends meet. But it's been a very different experience for me, fortunately.
For many years, tennis was the most important thing in my life. That was great. Nothing wrong with that.
Outdoor tennis plays into my strengths a little better.
Nothing against the Olympics. I played in 2012 and it was an incredible experience. It's different for tennis players than for swimmers and track and field athletes. That's the pinnacle of their sport and not so much the pinnacle of tennis.
Tennis is not really a traditional Olympic sport.
Our biggest events are the Grand Slams and are always going to be the Grand Slams.
The coaches that I have have done an incredible job with me, obviously the stuff we work on on the court.
I haven't really worked with, like, a mental coach or anything.
It's awesome to have the crowd on your side.
In a tiebreaker, you generally have a lot of adrenaline running through. It's all about just holding your serve, trying to hold two serves at a time, trying to stay ahead in the tiebreaker, constantly put pressure on my opponent.
Yeah, certainly you want to try to save your energy at a Grand Slam.
The best part about traveling for work is that it's better than sitting behind a desk!
The hardest part about traveling for work is that I'm a big guy, so traveling is sometimes uncomfortable for me.
My favorite tournament is the U.S. Open because the atmosphere is great.
What I most look forward to about traveling to MEMPHIS is the great food.
The best thing about being 6'9'' is that it helps with my tennis game, especially with my serve.
I'd love to have Trump come watch me. That would be awesome.
I think college tennis makes you tough.
Everyone wants to start the year off well.
A lot of times when I'm confident and relaxed on the court, I'm going to be a pretty tough out. But when I'm not so confident and not so relaxed, I tense up and my balls fall short and everything. It just sort of unravels.
You can't not love it here in Paris. It's amazing.
It is very hard to stay up there in the Top 20.
The good wins are still great, and you are on cloud nine when that happens, but the losses sting.
My marriage and my career are my two top priorities.
Any time you get to come to New York and be near New York City, that is a very cool opportunity.