University of Georgia Athletics
As Quinn Gets Started, Isner Is Hoping For A Big Finish
July 25, 2023 | Men's Tennis, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
If you look closely, you'll see some gray is starting to appear in John Isner's stubble. Time marches on, and the former Georgia men's tennis star is now 38 years old and in his 16th year playing professional tennis.
If you look closely at Ethan Quinn, who won the NCAA singles championship in May, at the end of his redshirt freshman season at Georgia, you won't see too much stubble at all. The gray is a long way off for the 19-year-old who recently turned pro.
One's a grizzled veteran that spent a decade ranked among the top 20 in the world, while the other is just getting started. On Monday, at the Atlanta Open, Quinn lost in the first round of his second ATP Tour event, to 82nd-ranked Aleksander Vukic. On Tuesday, Isner plays his first-round match, against Dominik Koepfer, in what could be among his last tournaments. Or not.
"Life is really good," Isner said with a big smile.
After leading Georgia to an undefeated season and the 2007 NCAA team championship, Isner began a pro tennis career that has exceeded his grandest dreams. He's won 16 ATP Tour titles, he's earned more than $22 million in prize money and he's been ranked as high as No. 8 in the world. When asked if he knows how much longer he'll play, Isner, a married father of four now ranked No. 103 in the world after a rough first half of 2023, said he's not sure.
If he's retiring this year, he said, "it will be at the (U.S.) Open." But he's not made any definitive plans to do so.
"It is something I'm definitely thinking about, I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't, but we'll see," he said. "I could be making a very big decision imminently, but maybe I'm not. I don't want to make it prematurely, either. That's where I'm at right now."
Another former Bulldog doing well professionally is Jan Zielinski, who is No. 7 in the world in doubles. On the women's side, former Georgia player Ellen Perez is ranked No. 9 in doubles on the WTA Tour.
Georgia signee Alex Michelsen was not only in the field alongside Quinn and Isner at the Infosys Hall of Fame Open on grass last week in Newport, R.I., he beat Isner in two tight sets in the semifinals before losing in the final to Adrian Mannarino, who is now ranked No. 27.
In Newport, Isner earned his best win of the year when he beat 14th-ranked Tommy Paul in three sets in the quarterfinals. Paul, who signed with Georgia before deciding to skip college and go straight to the pros in 2015, reached the quarters of the Australian Open at the beginning of the year. Paul defeated Quinn in the round of 16 in Newport.
"The last couple of years, I've started to feel the wear and tear a little bit more. For a long while I did feel pretty indestructible, and very lucky, too," Isner said. "My ranking, for me, for my standards, is really bad right now. It's not something I'm accustomed to, but at the same time, I feel like that's because I wasn't fully healthy. We'll see if I can turn that around this summer."
Isner, who has a singles record of 7-10 this year, has been slowed by a foot injury — no small thing when you're 6-foot-10 and pushing 40. But he's finally healthy and feeling good, as his win over Paul and run to the semifinals last week showed. He even felt good about how he played in his 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 loss to Michelsen, who is 20 years younger and now ranked No. 140.
"Quite frankly, he was better than me on the big points," said Isner, who has played in all 12 Atlanta Open tournaments and won six of them.
Quinn earned his first career ATP Tour win in the first round in Newport, defeating Mukund Sasikumar in straight sets. Quinn and former Georgia doubles partner Trent Bryde were given a wildcard into the Atlanta Open doubles draw and are scheduled to play in the first round Tuesday night.
Isner's advice for Quinn, as he starts his promising career, is to be prepared for some ups and downs at the beginning.
"I would say that you should expect a bumpy ride," Isner said. "Expect really tough times. And to really enjoy the good times. ...
"Winning college matches was probably coming easy to him, but it's not going to be like that in the pros. You have to be patient with it. On the flip side, playing well and winning matches, you need to really enjoy those times. Enjoy the good times and try to keep a good perspective on the bad times, knowing that there are going to be way better times ahead."
Isner and Quinn had a practice session together in Newport, and Isner said he'd love to hit with him again when they're both in New York for the U.S. Open in late August. Quinn earned a wild card into the year's final Grand Slam event by winning the NCAA singles title.
Isner remembers well his first U.S. Open, way back in 2007. He won his first two rounds before losing to Roger Federer in four sets in the third round. And 11 years later, he had his best showing at a Slam when he reached the semifinals at Wimbledon in 2018.
"I've said it a bunch: I've made a lot of good decisions along the way to lead me to sitting here with you right now. And one of the best decisions I ever made was going to Georgia," he said. "I truly don't think things would have turned out the same way if I had chosen another school or avenue or if I'd turned pro after my junior year.
"My time in Athens was very influential for me, in a very good way."
Staff Writer
If you look closely, you'll see some gray is starting to appear in John Isner's stubble. Time marches on, and the former Georgia men's tennis star is now 38 years old and in his 16th year playing professional tennis.
If you look closely at Ethan Quinn, who won the NCAA singles championship in May, at the end of his redshirt freshman season at Georgia, you won't see too much stubble at all. The gray is a long way off for the 19-year-old who recently turned pro.
One's a grizzled veteran that spent a decade ranked among the top 20 in the world, while the other is just getting started. On Monday, at the Atlanta Open, Quinn lost in the first round of his second ATP Tour event, to 82nd-ranked Aleksander Vukic. On Tuesday, Isner plays his first-round match, against Dominik Koepfer, in what could be among his last tournaments. Or not.
"Life is really good," Isner said with a big smile.
After leading Georgia to an undefeated season and the 2007 NCAA team championship, Isner began a pro tennis career that has exceeded his grandest dreams. He's won 16 ATP Tour titles, he's earned more than $22 million in prize money and he's been ranked as high as No. 8 in the world. When asked if he knows how much longer he'll play, Isner, a married father of four now ranked No. 103 in the world after a rough first half of 2023, said he's not sure.
If he's retiring this year, he said, "it will be at the (U.S.) Open." But he's not made any definitive plans to do so.
"It is something I'm definitely thinking about, I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't, but we'll see," he said. "I could be making a very big decision imminently, but maybe I'm not. I don't want to make it prematurely, either. That's where I'm at right now."
Another former Bulldog doing well professionally is Jan Zielinski, who is No. 7 in the world in doubles. On the women's side, former Georgia player Ellen Perez is ranked No. 9 in doubles on the WTA Tour.
Georgia signee Alex Michelsen was not only in the field alongside Quinn and Isner at the Infosys Hall of Fame Open on grass last week in Newport, R.I., he beat Isner in two tight sets in the semifinals before losing in the final to Adrian Mannarino, who is now ranked No. 27.
In Newport, Isner earned his best win of the year when he beat 14th-ranked Tommy Paul in three sets in the quarterfinals. Paul, who signed with Georgia before deciding to skip college and go straight to the pros in 2015, reached the quarters of the Australian Open at the beginning of the year. Paul defeated Quinn in the round of 16 in Newport.
"The last couple of years, I've started to feel the wear and tear a little bit more. For a long while I did feel pretty indestructible, and very lucky, too," Isner said. "My ranking, for me, for my standards, is really bad right now. It's not something I'm accustomed to, but at the same time, I feel like that's because I wasn't fully healthy. We'll see if I can turn that around this summer."
Isner, who has a singles record of 7-10 this year, has been slowed by a foot injury — no small thing when you're 6-foot-10 and pushing 40. But he's finally healthy and feeling good, as his win over Paul and run to the semifinals last week showed. He even felt good about how he played in his 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 loss to Michelsen, who is 20 years younger and now ranked No. 140.
"Quite frankly, he was better than me on the big points," said Isner, who has played in all 12 Atlanta Open tournaments and won six of them.
Quinn earned his first career ATP Tour win in the first round in Newport, defeating Mukund Sasikumar in straight sets. Quinn and former Georgia doubles partner Trent Bryde were given a wildcard into the Atlanta Open doubles draw and are scheduled to play in the first round Tuesday night.
Isner's advice for Quinn, as he starts his promising career, is to be prepared for some ups and downs at the beginning.
"I would say that you should expect a bumpy ride," Isner said. "Expect really tough times. And to really enjoy the good times. ...
"Winning college matches was probably coming easy to him, but it's not going to be like that in the pros. You have to be patient with it. On the flip side, playing well and winning matches, you need to really enjoy those times. Enjoy the good times and try to keep a good perspective on the bad times, knowing that there are going to be way better times ahead."
Isner and Quinn had a practice session together in Newport, and Isner said he'd love to hit with him again when they're both in New York for the U.S. Open in late August. Quinn earned a wild card into the year's final Grand Slam event by winning the NCAA singles title.
Isner remembers well his first U.S. Open, way back in 2007. He won his first two rounds before losing to Roger Federer in four sets in the third round. And 11 years later, he had his best showing at a Slam when he reached the semifinals at Wimbledon in 2018.
"I've said it a bunch: I've made a lot of good decisions along the way to lead me to sitting here with you right now. And one of the best decisions I ever made was going to Georgia," he said. "I truly don't think things would have turned out the same way if I had chosen another school or avenue or if I'd turned pro after my junior year.
"My time in Athens was very influential for me, in a very good way."
Assistant Sports Communications Director 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.
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