The Best Investment Isner Ever Made

Forget any house or condo, any racquet or any vehicle John Isner has bought with the more than $1.5 million he’s earned in prize money during his 12-year ATP World Tour career.

The best financial decision the 6’10” American has made involves a person who travels with him every week: his chiropractor, Clint Cordial. Isner started traveling with Cordial in 2012, and he credits the Missoula, Montana, professional for helping him stay healthy and allowing Isner to play some of the best tennis of his career as he nears 33 years old.

Earlier this month, Isner won his maiden ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title at the Miami Open presented by Itau and matched his career-high in the ATP Rankings at No. 9.

“That’s the smartest investment I’ve ever made, is working with him and making that investment into my body. Because without being healthy, I can’t go out there, I can’t perform, I can’t do what I do,” Isner said on Monday during his pre-tournament press conference in Houston.

Isner also does a fair amount of work on his own, when he’s back home in Dallas or at a tournament and out of eyesight of Cordial.

“I’m extremely diligent with how I eat, and how I take care of myself. Lifting weights is a huge part of that for me, keeping myself strong, especially my lower body,” he said.

The work is clearly paying off. Isner is the top seed again this week at the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston, the only clay-court event in North America. He won the Houston title in 2013, and a year prior, he first reached No. 9 in the ATP Rankings after making the 2012 final. Isner has played at the River Oaks Country Club in Houston every year of his career.

At first glance, you might think the big American – 6’10”, 240 pounds – would struggle on clay. Think of a clay-court stalwart and you likely think of a Spaniard or South American sliding to and retrieving every ball. But the red dirt can also favour a big man like Isner, who turns 33 on 26 April, depending on the conditions.

“If it’s a warm day, the clay is a little bit fast, but it’s also bouncing up high. That’s perfect for me. I want a fast court for my serve, but I want a high-bouncing court for the rest of my game. So it’s something that the more you play on, the more comfortable you are moving on clay,” Isner said.

“I’m very much looking forward to this clay-court season, of course, starting here in Houston then I’ll have some time off, which I do think I need to work on my body, to get myself mentally and physically fit for the clay-court tournaments ahead.”

On Top Again: Top Seeds In Houston

Cordial isn’t the only explanation for Isner’s success. The American married Madison McKinley last December, and his personal life has never been better.

“There are a lot more important things going on in my life than tennis. I mean tennis is something that has provided me such a unique experience for a job for the last 11 years of my life… I’ve been playing a sport for a living. So I’m very very lucky in that regard, but it’s also not the most important thing in my life by any means,” Isner said.

Another secret to Isner’s success: SoulCycle. Isner attends classes in his home Dallas four or five times a week. He loves it.

“When I condition I think it’s important to take the pounding off of my body, and I like to condition on the bike a lot,” he said. “At the end of the class, I’m drenched in sweat and completely exhausted. It’s a great workout.”