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Coach Gimelstob Revives Isner In Newport
By Scoop Malinowski
John Isner was in the midst of the worst slump of his illustrious ATP career, he lost seven matches in a row before arriving in Newport for the Infosys Hall of Fame Championships.
So Isner made a change and reunited with his old coach Justin Gimelstob, the two-time mixed doubles Grand Slam champion and a finalist in Newport in 2006.
It’s been a subpar year for the 38 year old Isner who reached the finals in Dallas in February but has struggled mightily since losing in a third set tiebreaker to China’s Yibing Wu for what would have been his 17th ATP singles title. That was a heartbreaking loss for Isner, who squandered match points, 76 (4), 67 (3), 67 (12) to the Chinese player in his first ATP final.
After losing his first matches in Acapulco, Indian Wells. Miami, Houston, Roland Garros and Wimbledon, Isner’s ranking nosedived outside the top 100 for the first time since 2008 (he turned pro in 2007). So Isner came to Newport with Gimelstob, the site of four of his ATP titles, with a sense of urgency or even desperation.
In the first round Isner braved his way through a sloppy but hard-earned 64 26 63 win vs. Australian lefty Alex Bolt.
In the second round Isner looked much more like himself and dominated Frenchman Corentin Moutet 63 63. It was a vintage Isner performance, serving and striking with precise shots when the opportunities presented.
Then came the big win in the quarterfinals vs ATP world no. 14 Tommy Paul 46 63 76. It was Isner at his near best, fighting, scratching and clawing his way to another marathon ATP victory, the 487th of his career.
In the semis, the day after the Paul marathon win, Isner was defeated by the American 18 year old phenom Alex Michelsen 76 64.
It can’t be a coincidence that Isner has managed to get his derailed career back on track this week with Gimelstob in his corner. Gimelstob explained some insights and details on what he has emphasized on working this week with Big John. “(I made) a few little tweaks. His toss on his serve, his footwork, especially on the backhand and return, commitment to serving and volleying and his style of play, and focus on the process vs. the result.”
Isner has a special exemption to play in Atlanta next week and he’s drawn Dominik Koepfer of Germany in the first round.
Gimelstob will join Isner again in Atlanta after logging in some impressive airport mileage. “Flying back to LA now to pick up my boy and fly right out to Atlanta for week two. Assistant coach Brandon Gimelstob!”
Justin Gimelstob Biofile interview
Atlanta · Infosys Hall of Fame Championships · John Isner · Justin Gimelstob
Scoop Malinowski · July 23, 2023 at 1:56 pm
Hoping John Isner has a few last hurrahs left in that Prince racquet, he’s been the kingpin of American tennis for a decade. Excellent week in Newport.