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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 5, 2018

John Isner

Wimbledon, London, England

J. ISNER/R. Bemelmans

6-1, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Talk a little bit about the match. Layover.
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, it was tough match. I mean, I have of course been in this situation before where the match has not finished, and I'm not just talking about 2010. It's been other times, as well, at this event.

But that's not all that uncommon with how it can rain and whatnot. But certainly didn't sleep like a baby last night. You know, when you're up two sets and 4-0 in the third set tiebreaker and you let that slip through, it's tough. A lot of stuff goes through your head.

But I was able to get the win today and, you know, didn't win like 24-22 or anything crazy like that. It was somewhat of a normal score. That's nice. It's a big relief.

Q. What do you say to yourself in those big moments when you're sitting there, pillow is kind of hot, you can't sleep.
JOHN ISNER: Oh, it's tough. I mean, you just gotta -- all the stuff is running through my head. I'm half asleep, I'm not really asleep. We have all been there. You have something weighing on you.

But, you know, fortunately I didn't feel like tired today. I still had a lot of adrenaline running through my body. The third day of my really long match in 2010 I thought I would feel tired and I didn't, actually. This is nothing like that, but pretty similar.

Q. What about the controversies about Hawk-Eye yesterday? What do you remember about them? What did you learn after that might have affected your thinking if you had seen things closer during the match?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, well, there were two instances. Sports Center was on in the locker room this morning, and they were showing the one that happened in the fourth set tiebreaker. You know, I may have overreacted there. I do think that ball was out. But 100% certain in the first game of the fourth set, break point for me, he hit a ball that was this far long (indicating) and he kind of gave it one of those, I'll challenge it, and it said it was on the line. It was not.

So that's the one that I was of course very perturbed about. The ball was out. Shot Spot said it was in. I felt like I won that match twice, because at that point I go up a break. I had 20 fans that were sitting right there all go like this to me, Mohamed, the referee, said it was out but Hawk-Eye didn't. I don't know. I don't know. I never saw anything like that.

Q. The Club released a statement saying because Hawk-Eye is an independent device that's used, the officials and the players must abide by the ruling...
JOHN ISNER: Of course.

Q. ...by Hawk-Eye. What are your thoughts of the application of that principle?
JOHN ISNER: No, no, it's the right application. Hawk-Eye is awesome for our sport. I just have a very big beef with it in that one instance at the first game of the fourth set, break point for me. I should have been up 1-0 serving, which is a good position to be in, considering how I was serving.

Q. You alluded to the match in '08, and you're so identified with that.
JOHN ISNER: Uh-huh.

Q. Does it bother you, one, that people say, Oh, he's the guy who played the longest match, do you like it, and do you ever go and look at the plaque?
JOHN ISNER: Well, yeah, I saw the plaque this morning walking to practice. I didn't stop and stare at it by any means. I have walked past it countless times.

To answer your first question, that doesn't bother me, because that match we played eight years ago was such a big event. Because I remember the World Cup was going on, as it is now, this is eight years ago, and it was stealing headlines from the World Cup. It was such a crazy match that the whole world was captivated by it. I'm not exaggerating there. The whole world was captivated by that match.

After it finished, you know, it will go down in history forever, and I was a part of it. So I think especially the casual tennis fan, of course that's what they know me by, and that's fine. But I like to think that since then I have done a lot of good stuff in my career to maybe shed that as the lasting image of my career.

Q. 64 aces today. You had a lot of winners and everything. Yet this is a slam we would all think you do the best at and it's the one that you have done the least best at. What's your thoughts on that? Why do you think that is?
JOHN ISNER: Well, I've gotten involved in long matches here. A few of them have gone my way and a lot have not gone my way.

That's been the case. I think today was very relieving sort of a monkey off my back, because I have lost a lot of five-set matches since that one in 2010. Off the top of my head, I lost to Alejandro Falla, Tsonga, last year I lost to Dudi Sela. I'm missing some, because I have lost a lot of matches in the fifth set.

So that, of course, weighs on you, especially at this event. It's not just fifth set in general. It's this event.

So to finally come through on the good side of that feels amazing.

Q. I'd like to switch gears a little bit and go back and ask you about your college career. There have been a lot of fabulous college teams over the years.
JOHN ISNER: Yeah.

Q. Stanford has a bunch of them, UCLA, SC, Trinity, on and on. Could you talk briefly about your team, what made it special? Should it be considered as one of the top 10 teams of all time or not?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, I think top 10. I think my senior-year team and junior-year team, even though we didn't win, we were undefeated until the finals, so that's, like, you know, UNLV basketball. Kind of liken it to that. We didn't win my junior year but our team was very good. My senior year we won it all and went undefeated.

Granted, I'm the only one of those two teams that has really made it professionally, but we had some very good players. Top 10? I think I would give our team my senior year a top 10 spot. The best team of all time was the one that Bob and Mike Bryan were on where they had -- I forget who it was. Whoever was playing No. 6 on their team went on to be top 100 in the world in singles.

Q. (Indiscernible.)
JOHN ISNER: Exactly.

Q. Better than the Goldstein team?
JOHN ISNER: I think Bob and Mike's team.

Q. What kind of role did Manny play in that success of your teams?
JOHN ISNER: A huge role. He's a guy we all looked up to and respected. He's been through it all. Manny, not only for just our team that one year that we won it, but for me individually was a huge help.

Q. Your mate Sam was on before you yesterday. You two could potentially meet in the semifinals, I think. Have to be optimistic?
JOHN ISNER: Isn't Roger in the draw (laughter)?

Q. You're right. What sort of relationship do you have off the courts and what's the rivalry like on the courts?
JOHN ISNER: That is a good question. The relationship off the court is a very good one. We were both in each other's weddings. We have been playing the same, pretty much the same schedule for 11 years now.

Interestingly enough, Sam and I haven't played that many times. It's one of those cases where we just haven't seemed to match up in the tournament. It would be awesome to play him here. I didn't even know that it would be the semifinals, but would love to play Sam in the semifinals here. That would be amazing. But we're very good friends.

The rivalry? There is not a rivalry. Honestly, we're too goofy and jovial with each other for it to be a rivalry. It's not one at all. You know, next time we do play each other, hopefully it's here, but we probably will play each other somewhere down the road. It is what it is, but it's not a rivalry at all.

Q. Did you hear from him yesterday in the delay overnight? Did he send you a text or anything?
JOHN ISNER: No, no, no, he didn't. And I wouldn't send him a text -- again, that goes to, that speaks to our relationship. We never talk about tennis, ever. So it's more like I'll send him a text and ask him what he had for dinner. Not, Hey, good job on your win.

That's Sam and I's relationship.

Q. Part of the drill with having a rain-delayed match going to the next day means you have less time to prepare for your next match. How do you approach that and what are you thinking going into that?
JOHN ISNER: I think I'll be fine. As far as -- does anyone know how long my match was? Was it three hours maybe? Just under four?

Okay, look. It's fine. Luckily I didn't play that long today. Physically I'll be fine. I think the emotional exhaustion of having to sleep on a match like that where I could have won in three sets, that could play a factor.

I think the most important thing I can do from here on out is eat a lot of good food and just get a lot of rest, and try to sleep better tonight than I did last night. If I can do that, I think I should be fine tomorrow.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about pending fatherhood? What you're anticipating?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, our baby is due on September 22nd, so hopefully after a nice run at the US Open, you know, we'll see what happens. Our first kid, sometimes they come early, sometimes they come late. Whenever it comes, it's going to be a blessing. Madi and I are certainly looking forward to that.

And our life is in Dallas now. That's where I live. We're going to have a lot of help, which helps, because my in-laws, her parents are amazing. Her family is amazing. And then my family I think is awesome, as well. So this kid is going to have a lot of love. That's for sure.

Q. Do you know what's coming?
JOHN ISNER: It's a girl. Yeah, we're having a baby girl.

Q. Congrats.
JOHN ISNER: I told Madi I think we're going to have four girls. I feel it.

Q. Two-handed or one-handed backhand?
JOHN ISNER: Two-handed and hopefully a better backhand than mine.

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