	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

LAVER CUP

September 22, 2018

John Isner

Chicago, Illinois

A. ZVEREV/J. Isner

3-6, 7-6, 10-7

Team Europe - 5

Team World - 1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You had said in the day before it started when somebody said, like, how serious was it, I think you were a little pissed off and, you know, explained how serious it was. Did that match reflect that?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah. I mean, I think you guys can see for yourself how serious it is out there. The word "exhibition" is so stupid when it comes to talking about this event. It's the furthest thing from that.

I mean, I'm totally dejected right now. Look at Sascha. He went down to his knees after winning that match. It's not a show. If it is, we're incredible actors, okay? So that's not the case.

I'm extremely disappointed to lose that match and in the fashion that I did. It was tough to swallow, having match point and being up 5-4 in my serve in that tiebreaker. You know, it's tough. Very similar last year. Early on especially we lost a lot of tiebreakers.

But, you know, it can easily happen when you pit good players against good players in this format. But I wouldn't change it for anything. It's so much fun playing out there. I wish I could have been victorious.

Q. You know that week in, week out, it's such an individual sport. Yet you have had incredible team experiences. Could you just take a minute and compare college play, playing for your country, Davis, and just the great fun similar to Laver?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, you know, it's pretty similar. You know, playing for your college, you're not playing in front of that many people (smiling), but you're playing for your university and your teammates and your coaches. Davis Cup, of course, you're playing for your country.

And here, you know, this is a new event, but all of us players want to win so much. We take it upon ourselves to try to do our best and win for our team, because we're up against arguably the greatest tennis team ever assembled, you know, really, in a format like this.

Yeah, it's a lot of fun, for sure. But it's also what sports are all about. It's awesome when you win. When you lose, it really stinks.

Q. Slightly different subject. There was a lot of controversy and accusations about officiating and double standards and whatnot at the US Open. Do you feel that the slams and/or the tours need to revisit officiating, how they go about it, whether or not it's sufficiently evenly applied?
JOHN ISNER: I don't think there is an issue. I know you're referring to the US Open final. Given how big of a moment that was, how big of a match that was, I think it was amplified. But I think Carlos, the referee, was doing his job. I think other referees have his back, as well.

I just think that it just got, you know, the coaching violation in that particular match and has sort of kept going and going and going, it was tough. But I don't believe there's a double standard, no.

Q. I want to include, by the way, Mohamed's match and Nick and the controversy over that. So in that sense, is everyone applying the rules evenly and should...
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, but that's one instance. It's not the norm. That's a total aberration. You can disagree with what Mohamed did or have no problem with it at all, but that's the only time I have ever seen that happen, and it just happened to be with Nick's match.

Q. Thanks for coming in, especially after what you had on court there. I think we have all seen here there is a great market, a great appreciation for these team events both on the players' part and for fans. From your perspective, do you have any concern? It seems there is going to be a couple of team variation events on the calendar with the one in January, the ATP event, the recast Davis Cup, whatever form that takes, and then this, assuming this has legs? And you all seem to enjoy it.
JOHN ISNER: Yeah.

Q. Are you concerned about your own scheduling, players' scheduling? How do you prioritize this? Is there a concern about clutter?
JOHN ISNER: That's an excellent question. Time will tell how, you know, players and fans alike and how the market digests having essentially three team events, you know, as you said with the new format in the Davis Cup and the ATP World Team Cup, and then you have of course this, given the fact they are pretty closely bunched together. You have three team events from September to January.

So we'll see what happens. Again, I said time will tell how everything reacts, how the market reacts to it. But as you said, I think there is a good market for team events. I think we're proving that out here at the United Center here in Chicago, and I think we proved that last year in Prague that -- I mean, I do believe that this event has very long legs and can go very far.

Q. On a lighter note, I assume you're taking advantage of these few days in Chicago to catch up on some sleep.
JOHN ISNER: Yeah.

Q. How are the first days of this new life for you going? How are you living them, especially now being far away?
JOHN ISNER: Oh, well, my wife's been amazing. I can show you a picture on my phone. My daughter watched her first match with me. I don't think she will remember it. My wife is changing her diaper and I'm on the TV. She took a picture.

I'm certainly enjoying it. Look, my flight is tomorrow night back home. It's super tough being away right now, but I also made the decision not to go to Asia. I think of all the 14 players that are here, I'm the only one not making that trip because I want to be back home.

Q. I'm wondering what role emotion plays in these matches. Also, it seems like generally the Americans are more emotional than the Europeans. Does that reflect McEnroe/Borg or a history of team sports? What do you think?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, no, it's not just the -- not to correct you, but I don't think it's the Americans. I think it's just our team, the Team World. I think we know that that's what we have to bring, because we are up against it and we are the underdog.

We also didn't know how this crowd was going to react, given the fact that Team Europe has two of the all-time greats on their team and one of them is Roger Federer who is adored worldwide.

But this crowd has been firmly on our side. They were on our side in that doubles match against Roger last night, as well. It's been a huge home-court advantage for us to have them on our side.

Unfortunately we haven't been quite able to put them away in some matches with Diego last night and Jack, as well, in his singles match, and me here today. It's been amazing to play in front of that crowd and to have that energy behind us and all those people behind us.

I think I'm getting a little lost with my answer here, but we have to bring that energy, and the crowd is bringing it for us, as well.

Q. The other day you said you got some tips from other players, including Novak and Federer.
JOHN ISNER: Yeah.

Q. Could you have some fun with us and share a tip or two? And also, on a more serious note, can you imagine what it's like for Serena or any woman being a new mother and actually playing this professional circuit?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah. Oh, well, yeah, the first part of your question, I mean, they have given me a few tips. I'm going to have to learn on my own, you know, the lion's share of stuff. It will more than likely be done by my wife, especially when I'm on the road. But hopefully my family, I think, in 2019 can travel with me. We'll see how that goes.

It's going to be, for me personally, it's going to be an adjustment. Going to see how that goes with sleep schedules and whatnot. Of course, as an athlete, we need our rest as much as we possibly can to perform. I'm no different. Trust me, I need a lot of rest.

But at this moment in time, I'm just going to enjoy this, because this is so special for me. I certainly miss my daughter incredibly much right now.

But to answer your second part, I can't imagine how tough that is to balance having a kid and travel and compete at the top level like Serena is doing and Azarenka is doing, as well. I can't think off the top of my head who else is doing it, but kudos to them, because that's gotta be incredibly tough.

It's hard enough as the father, but to be the mother, as well, and I know what my wife is going through right now recovery-wise, to be able to recover from that. Very impressive what they are doing.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297