John Isner says that while he hasn’t had a great year thus far, he is feeling better about his game. The world No. 24 lost in the third round of the Australian Open, fell to Sam Querrey in the quarterfinals of Memphis, and lost in the first round of Delray Beach. After two losses in Davis Cup play, away at Great Britain, he reached the round of 16 at Indian Wells. Isner defeated No. 17 Kevin Anderson in the second round and then played well in a 6-4, 7-6 (5) loss to world No. 1 Novak Djokovic.
“I think I'm on the right track,” Isner said. “I started the year off a little slow. I haven't played that many tournaments, either. My fifth ATP tournament of the year, so it's not that many. I’m starting to play better. You're going to lose points and gain points throughout the year. I'm not really focused on my ranking. I'm worried about how I'm playing, and I'm definitely starting to play better. I wasn't playing too great at the very beginning of the year.”
The 29-year-old Isner is working with former player Justin Gimelstob and will face No. 11 Grigor Dimitrov in the third round of the Miami Open.
“Maybe my results haven't shown that. I have worked extremely hard with my new coach, and we are working on some things mentally, physically, we are doing a lot of good work,” said Isner. “I know it's going to pay off down the road.
“Whether it's this week or whether it's the next week at Houston or whether it's in Monte Carlo or whatever, it's going to pay off. I'm doing a lot of good work and I'm staying focused. I'm becoming a better player. I really believe that, and that's the most important.”