John Isner Not Stressed About His Slow Start in 2019

John Isner entered the New York Open tournament earlier this week without a win for the season. That actually isn’t all that bad when you look at the recent history in the sport. As a top-ranked tennis player from the United States, John Isner had an awful start at the beginning of 2018. He only recorded one match win in a singles tournament during the first two and a half months of the year. He only managed 1-6 before making his way to the Miami Open that took place in March.

John Isner’s Career in 2019

Things certainly turned around for Isner at the Miami Open in March 2018. He managed to win the event, the biggest title in his entire tennis career. His performance at the Miami Open propelled him to his best year. He managed to qualify for the ATP World Tour Finals, obtained a career-high ranking of number 8, and finished the year with a world ranking of number 10.

Despite the extremely slow start in 2019, Isner is in a position that he never thought would be possible ten years ago, when he was only a graduate at the University of Georgia. He is very close to 34 years of age, but he says that he has never been healthier. He receives his inspiration from Roger Federer who is currently 37 years old. The stability that is being provided by his new role as father and husband has assisted Isner to overcome the tendency to obsess over unsatisfactory results and to lose focus.

Isner lost during the first round of the New York Open in 2018 to 91st ranked Radu Albot. He will certainly face more pressure this time around but refuses to let it get to him. “Perhaps if I was younger, it would be completely different,” Isner stated. “However, I am well aware that everyone will lose and gain points. There’s a very good chance that I will lose points during the Miami Open unless I somehow win it again. However, everyone’s tennis ranking fluctuates year on year, even for Novak Djokovic who was ranked at number 18 during 2018. This is bound to happen to me too in 2019.”

Tournament Consistency

Isner stated that he is unable to place his finger on why he cannot get off to a more ideal start in the last couple of years. However, he was very philosophical with regards to fluctuations in his tennis rankings. He managed to learn that with his shutdown game and quick-strike, frustration can transform into triumph as fast as his deadly serve. He is essentially a shrewd judge of his own weaknesses and strengths. Isner knows full well that he’ll have more than enough opportunities to improve his overall ranking if he is more consistent from tournament to tournament. He simply needs to shine at Wimbledon and the US Open to succeed.

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