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ROLAND GARROS

May 29, 2018

John Isner

Paris, France

J. ISNER/N. Rubin

6-3, 7-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Tell us about that match. It stretched over two days.
JOHN ISNER: Yeah. Yeah, no. It was a tough, tough match. I knew it would be, because I know Noah is a very good competitor. I would say, among everything, that's probably the best thing he does, which is a very fine attribute.

But I went to bed last night up two sets. It's a little bit nicer than one set All. And today, I thought I played well. Coming in this third set, I had so many chances. Just couldn't, you know, break through. I had, I don't know, countless chances to maybe -- certainly could have won that third set a bit easier, but it wasn't to be.

But I'm happy with how I'm playing and where I'm at right now.

Q. Winning that tournament this year just seemed like the biggest thing in your career. Was it so, and how do you feel about it now? It takes some time to get over it in a way.
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, it was certainly the biggest tennis accomplishment of my career, no doubt.

But, you know, after that tournament was over, I felt fine. I didn't feel too tired or mentally tired. A lot of times when you have a big breakthrough like that, mentally you can sort of let down. But, no, that wasn't the case. I think I played Davis Cup four or five days later after that. So really it wasn't too bad at all.

It was certainly a good tournament to win. I'll always be able to say that I won that tournament, and that's very cool.

But didn't, you know, change me in any way. But for sure, I mean, it was important considering how my year had been going up to that tournament. It just goes to show how tennis is, because I was playing pretty poorly prior to that event.

Q. You really like the clay. You've said this in the past. When did you start playing on it as a kid?
JOHN ISNER: Quite a lot. Because the club that -- the local club that we belong to had the green clay, and they had the indoor green clay, which was gross.

But, you know, but still I played, I would say, just as much on green clay as I did hard court growing up. I know, of course, it's much different than red clay. But it's definitely not my preferred surface, but it's a surface I think I can do well on if I'm doing the right things.

Q. When we spoke after Miami, you said that that close-set-points frittered thing that used to really get to you was something you felt like you had made huge progress on. So has that, in fact, turned out to be the case?
JOHN ISNER: The what?

Q. Sort of the points that when you don't win them you feel bad about it.
JOHN ISNER: Yeah. Gotcha.

Q. So the third set today -- so has that, in fact, been the case? Have you been able to continue that mental momentum?
JOHN ISNER: I think I have. Not today. I think the stats would lie today. I had nine or ten break points in that third set, and I had four or five match points before I finally won the match.

But I don't feel like I played those points too poorly. A lot of times in the past I would play those points way too passively and inevitably it doesn't go my way. I don't think that was the case today. It was more of the case of Noah stepping up and playing some good tennis.

But I do think, you know, I have gotten better in that regard. And having a tough match like this, a match that I really, really had to dig deep, and especially in the first round, I think can bode well going forward.

Q. You use a lot of kick serve on clay. It's quite a shot for a nonprofessional player. What would be the advice you give to nonprofessional player who wants to learn that shot?
JOHN ISNER: Oh. As far as advice, I mean, being a big guy certainly helps for one. So that's not advice I can give. But it's all about -- it's a combination of things. Your toss, your motion, meeting the ball at its highest point on the ball toss.

So it's a serve that recreational players don't really have the luxury of having. I mean, of course I'm big, but it's something I've done my whole life. It's like a golfer hitting a 150-yard shot right online every single time.

So as far as advice goes, that's pretty tough to give.

Q. You had Nadal in a really tough spot once here. Is that the only way to beat him, to be so powerful, so forceful that you can prevent him from doing what he wants to do?
JOHN ISNER: I think so, for sure. It is the only way. Because you see, if he gets a hold of the point offensively, you're done.

I mean, you guys remember Soderling beating him. That's what he did. He just knocked the cover off the ball, no hesitation, and just went after him and stayed on the offensive as much as he possibly could.

But beating Nadal on clay is literally one of the toughest things in sports, period, and the stats bear that out.

But it's also tough for Rafa, because every time he goes out there, players know that and players swing for the fences and have nothing to lose. That's what makes him so great is because he's getting everyone's best shot.

Q. I don't know how much look at the draw, but you're in a section with not a lot of seeds anywhere, not a lot of natural clay court guys. Cilic is in there and Delpo and you. Do you feel like this is a tournament where you can, especially after Miami, even if there was not a complete upward trajectory from there, can you make some noise at this tournament?
JOHN ISNER: For sure. I don't know the draw, how it shapes out. I try not to ever look ahead.

But, I mean, knowing how I played out there today, if I can just correct a few things, how I served, and how the conditions are out there. And if I keep my head like I did today and have that same attitude and calmness on the court like I did in Miami, I do think I can do pretty well here.

So I'm not scared of anyone in the draw, but I know that I can lose to anyone if I'm not doing the right things. There's no doubt about that. Anyone in this tournament can beat me. But I do think if I'm doing the right things I can be a handful.

Q. Last time the tour was in Paris, Jack won in Bercy and then he went to London and did well there too. He had a pretty rough start to this year too. Do you have a sense of what's been going on with him? I know you two are pretty close.
JOHN ISNER: Very close with Jack. I just think he's -- it's tough. I mean, his offseason was short for sure. It was a bit of an unexpected run. He would admit that. He was down 5-1 in the third in his first match in Bercy, and he ended up winning the tournament and then doing well in London. Maybe he took too deep of a breath and relaxed a little bit too much.

But, look, as long as Jack stays healthy and does the right things, he'll be fine. This has been a very bad stretch for a player of his caliber. So I know he's on court now. It just takes one tournament to turn things around and get some momentum.

So for Jack's case, I certainly hope he can string together some matches here and keep that going forward the rest of the year. He'll be fine. There's no doubt about that. But for his standards, it's been a poor year.

I don't know exactly that's going on, but tennis is very mental. It's easy to get down on yourself and lose your confidence. It happens to everyone. There's dips throughout your career, and there's going to be a lot of dips throughout his career and lot of highs as well.

But he's at a low point right now, and the only way out of that is just by keep working hard, and he's doing that.

Q. You're still as of a few minutes ago the only man ever to have taken two sets off Rafa in the first round here. Do conditions play a part in that and, if so, how?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, I remember that day being pretty hot, so the conditions suited me and the ball was bouncing up high. I mean, Rafa likes when the ball bounces up high as well.

But I think for me also, I just went out there with really nothing to lose and just going out and playing the big points pretty well, but eventually I succumbed to him. That's why he's the champion that he is.

But that was a great memory for me. I think going into that match, I hadn't played well that year. And even though I lost, it actually set me up for the rest of the year because I started playing much better after that.

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