University of Georgia Athletics
Smiles, Success Keep Coming For Isner
August 05, 2016 | Men's Tennis
John Isner talks about the strong reputation and tradition of Georgia tennis and how invaluable the coaching staff is and has been through out the years.
Aug. 5, 2016
By John Frierson
UGAAA Staff Writer
ATLANTA -- John Isner had a smile for everyone Tuesday in the lobby of the Twelve Atlantic Station Hotel, headquarters of the BB&T Atlanta Open. Nearly a decade into his professional tennis career, Isner, one of the greatest Bulldogs ever, regardless of sport, has a lot of reasons to smile.
The smiles were warm and genuine whether he posed for photos with total strangers or with Georgia men's tennis coach Manuel Diaz and former Bulldog great George Bezecny. The smiles were warm and genuine when he signed the bill of a young fan's Baltimore Orioles cap -- a first, Isner said -- and when he made time for a short chat with a writer he first got to know many years ago now.
This story isn't about me, though I'm briefly in it here at the beginning.
I covered the first part of Isner's incredible Georgia career -- All-American all four years, an NCAA doubles title as a sophomore and an NCAA team title (and undefeated season) his senior year -- when I was writing for the Athens Banner-Herald. I remember (as did he Tuesday, with another smile) an April 2005 afternoon Isner and I spent together on court 1 at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex.
I wanted to write about his now legendary serve, which was a huge weapon then as well, and that meant getting out there across the net from him. He smiled and laughed a lot that afternoon. To read what happened that afternoon, which wasn't a total embarrassment for me, click here: Isner's Serves Hard To Handle.
Isner was a talented and steadily improving sophomore back then, ranked No. 15 in the country. While his serve seemed almost untouchable, it didn't cross my mind that the long and lanky player serving bombs at me could become a top 20 mainstay on the ATP Tour. It wasn't crossing Isner's mind at that point, either.
"It wasn't until my junior year that I knew I wanted to go pro," he said Tuesday. "I told myself that if at any point I got into the top 50 in the world I'd be very proud. And I've certainly far surpassed that; I've been top 20 in the world for the past six years. It's been great and fortunately for me I've had a lot of good people in my corner and I've far surpassed my expectations."
As coach Manuel Diaz said this week, we're all way past being shocked at the career Isner has put together. Impressed? Absolutely -- but not surprised after seeing the work and development that's taken place since Isner played his last match for the Bulldogs, in May 2007.
Isner has spent some time in the top 10 and has been ranked in the top 20 for the past six years. He sets goals and reaches them, Diaz said.
"We knew he had an opportunity to get into the top 50, and he's done a remarkable job of resetting his goals," Diaz said. "Once he got to be in the top 50 he aimed a little bit higher, he aimed to be one of the top 20 players in the world, and once he accomplished that we were all amazed. But he reset his goals again to become a top 10 player and he achieved that."
The 6-foot-10 (and maybe taller) Isner is in Atlanta this week for the BB&T Atlanta Open, a tournament he's won the past three years. He plays in the quarterfinals tonight against young American Taylor Fritz (who defeated recent Georgia graduate Austin Smith on Tuesday).
Isner has 10 career ATP Tour singles titles, he's presently ranked No. 17 in the world, his career prize money total is around $10 million and he's been the No. 1 American since Andy Roddick retired in September 2012 and a Davis Cup stalwart. He passed on attending the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
A long and lanky freshman on the Bulldogs' men's tennis team back in 2004. Isner had little muscle but a ton of heart, steel and fire. The big-serving kid from Greensboro, N.C., unavoidably grabbed your attention.
There might be a few folks that had better collegiate careers than Isner, but nobody had more fun playing college tennis or rooted for the red and black more. That latter bit hasn't changed. Isner was sporting a polo shirt with a Georgia football helmet on it Tuesday and for long stretches of his career you'd see him wearing something Georgia related in almost every TV interview he did.
After wearing Nike at Georgia, Isner wore Nike gear for years as a pro -- and he said there were no issues with with sponsors as long as the Georgia cap or t-shirt also featured the swoosh. He's since moved on to other companies, first to Lacoste and now FILA.
"Any time I can wear something that's Georgia and doesn't have that Nike swoosh on it, I'm going to put it on," he said.
Now 31, Isner has filled out tremendously physically since he graduated from Georgia, all phases of his game have improved and he's achieved so much more than he ever expected. It's the consistency he's achieved, staying in the top 20 for so many years, that stands out like his 6-10 frame. It's one thing to have a good 12-18 months and quite another to stay near the top of the sport year after year.
All this from a young man that, believe it or not, started the Bulldogs' dual match season his senior year ranked No. 2 in the country and playing at No. 3 singles. Georgia was loaded that year, going 32-0, and Isner played No. 3 in the opener against William & Mary, and later played No. 2 singles four times. He went on to go 18-2 at No. 1 and ended his Georgia career with a tough three-set loss in the NCAA singles final.
"I got so much better at college thanks to everything: facilities, my teammates and most importantly Coach Diaz," Isner said. "I made a good choice, going to Georgia. I don't think it would have been the same had I gone anywhere else, either. Georgia has the most to do with (my success), in my opinion."
John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
