Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic are players considered the masters of aces, with their fine serves and inch-perfect accuracy often leaving the opponent in no position to respond. One would naturally expect them to top the milestone when it comes to registering aces as well. However, the player who instead enjoys an extremely illustrious record with regard to the same, surpassing those four is none other than American John Isner. Isner is only the second player in the history of tennis to have reached the 13,000-ace milestone. Ivo Karlovic was the first player in the game to record the illustrious milestone of 13,000 aces. Isner's prowess with regard to serves further extends with regard to the speed at which the same is recorded, with the American currently holding the record for registering the fastest "official" serve in ATP at 157.2 mph or 253 km/h. The tennis player further accounted for the third-fastest serve on record in tennis, during the same instance in the first-round 2016 Davis Cup match.
Isner is a master at his craft with 16 singles career titles, showcasing his prowess to the core. One of the most significant performances by the American was recorded in the 2012 edition of the Indian Wells Masters, with the tennis star defeating then world no. 1 Novak Djokovic in three sets to sail into the final. Isner was resilient in his approach against the Serbian, who can be unstoppable on his day. Neither did the American permit any room for Djokovic to make a stellar comeback which he is very well capable of, nor did he allow any breathing space. While Isner was defeated by Roger Federer in the final, the tennis star won hearts with his spirited gameplay and supreme confidence under pressure.
The American further enjoys a glorious and famous spot in the history of the game after being a part of the longest tennis match of all time. Isner battled it out against Nicolas Mahut in the first round of the men’s singles at the 2010 Wimbledon. The American eventually won 6-4, 3-6, 6-7, 7-6, 70-68 in a match that lasted for 665 minutes (11 hours and 5 minutes). The encounter further spread out over three days at the All England Club in London.
"It's something that I get asked countless times about even to this day, and truthfully don't enjoy rehashing what we both went through. What started as your standard first-round match at a Grand Slam morphed into a spectacle that even stole headlines from the concurrent World Cup. Afterwards, I learned that on top of his incredible competitive spirit, Nico is one of the most genuine and kind people I've ever come across," said Isner in an Instagram post.
"The guy's an absolute warrior. It stinks someone had to lose. To share this with him was an absolute honour. Maybe we'll meet again somewhere down the road and it won't be 70-68," added the American in an on-court interview.
Isner's serve is undoubtedly a major aspect of his gameplay. However, he also enjoys a very powerful forehand which compliments his serve perfectly. The American's fitness is another key asset, as evident from the stamina and determination on show in the encounter against Mahut. Isner is further supremely ambitious, as evident from his desire to surpass Karlovic.
"Very cool. I do know that I'm within shouting distance of Ivo, of maybe getting that record. If he does retire soon, that certainly is a milestone that seems attainable, the all-time record milestone. I would like to hold that record, I'm not going to shy away from that. We'll see if I can get there," stated the American in an exclusive interaction with atptour.com.
Australian Open: 4R (2010, 2016)
French Open: 4R (2014, 2016, 2018)
Wimbledon: SF (2018)
US Open: QF (2011, 2018)
