Top 105 Quotes & Sayings by John Isner - Page 2

Practicing hard doesn't guarantee you anything.

My coaches, trainer and agency have all helped make me the player and the business that I am today.

Probably the most infamous story in our family: My oldest brother took a U-lock bike lock and locked my head to the bedpost. And he didn't just do this for a minute or two; he did this for a couple hours. I was maybe 8 or 9, and he was maybe 15.

I didn't know I could even be a professional tennis player, honestly. All this is actually very, very unexpected.

As a tennis player, or any professional athlete, our career has a shelf life. I don't want to waste any opportunities, I don't want to look back on it when I'm 45 and think I could have done a lot more.

A big upper body is not a great thing for tennis, and for me, flexibility is important.

What I most look forward to about traveling to MEMPHIS is the great food.

Our biggest events are the Grand Slams and are always going to be the Grand Slams.

A tournament pays me to show up because the fans want to see me and I move the needle at the box office? That's amazing. It's good for tennis, good for me and good for the event. If a sponsor wants to pay to put their company name on my shirt because they think I'm a strong ambassador for their brand? Heck yes.

I've played with Prince racquets my entire career.

Everyone works so hard on their game and on their body. Most of the time, it comes down to who is more relaxed mentally; on the court while playing and off the court.

Being able to travel with family and friends so they can cheer me on as I play is something it's hard to put a price on; my point is simply that for all of this, there is indeed a price.

There is so much that goes in to being a good tennis player. It's not just what you can do well on the court, it's between the ears as well.

People often come up and tell me how much money I make in a year, which is funny because I don't think it's something I've ever said to someone.

The best part about traveling for work is that it's better than sitting behind a desk!

Sometimes I think the easiest way to introduce what goes into managing the expenses of a tennis career is to take a look at another pro sport and notice some of the differences.

My favorite tournament is the U.S. Open because the atmosphere is great.

I've done a good job putting some meat on my bones since my freshman year of college. It's taken a lot of work. I was just under 200 pounds my freshman year; I was 6'8' and 198 pounds.

Taking care of my body and my health is my full-time job.

Everything has gone pretty fluidly in my personal life, so I think that certainly helps.

That's the most fulfilling thing I've experienced ever, being a father.

As anyone who is a father or mother out there can tell you, it's pretty amazing.

For many years, tennis was the most important thing in my life. That was great. Nothing wrong with that.

Prior to our daughter being born, I think getting married is another big step. That definitely settles things down personally.

The hardest part about traveling for work is that I'm a big guy, so traveling is sometimes uncomfortable for me.

If someone had told me at fourteen that I'd be six-ten, I might have stuck with basketball, in all seriousness.

In a tiebreaker, you generally have a lot of adrenaline running through. It's all about just holding your serve, trying to hold two serves at a time, trying to stay ahead in the tiebreaker, constantly put pressure on my opponent.

The mental part of the game, being able to free up on the tennis court, is much easier said than done.

Tennis is not really a traditional Olympic sport.

I haven't really worked with, like, a mental coach or anything.

At 19, I didn't have a hair on my face. When I was 20, I looked 14.

Nothing against the Olympics. I played in 2012 and it was an incredible experience. It's different for tennis players than for swimmers and track and field athletes. That's the pinnacle of their sport and not so much the pinnacle of tennis.

The way I see it, the prize money is a reflection of my on-court performance, but the sponsorships are something more personal, connected more to people and fans, and to my values.

For me, I relish playing tournaments in America.

In the past, I've played where I only just rely on my serve.

Outdoor tennis plays into my strengths a little better.

A lot of players have had it worse than me. Look at a guy like Andy Roddick, incredible Hall of Fame player, but he ran up against Roger so many times in big finals.

Yeah, certainly you want to try to save your energy at a Grand Slam.

The coaches that I have have done an incredible job with me, obviously the stuff we work on on the court.

When I left college, I just thought I could play tennis to delay getting a regular job and go there and try to make ends meet. But it's been a very different experience for me, fortunately.

I was never pegged to be the next great American tennis player by any means. I wasn't a prodigy. I'm a late bloomer. Whatever happens, I'm proud of what I've done.

As a kid, I was a little self-conscious because I was so much taller than everyone. A bad habit of mine used to be slouching. Eventually, I realized my height was something I couldn't control, so I might as well accept it. I've certainly turned it into a positive, because without my height I probably wouldn't be as good of a tennis player. It's a gift, and I've made something of it.

I won't be turning into Novak anytime soon.

It's just simple: just keep fighting and keep believing, try not to show weakness out there.

To take pressure off myself, I realize how fortunate I am to be playing a sport for a living. If I take that mentality onto the court, there shouldn't be any pressure because I'm already fortunate to do what I do.