Hello tennis lovers! Today is the first of our new weekly blog post, “5 Things You May Not Know About…”
Every Wednesday, we will profile one of you favorite ATP or WTA players and tell you 5 lesser known facts about the best tennis players in the world. This week, we start with the #1 American, John Isner.
1. He’s a late bloomer
You probably know that Isner played all four years of college and didn’t turn professional until he was 22, but you may not know that he didn’t start playing tennis until he was 10… which is
practically unheard of in the sport.
2. He posed nude in ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue
He is very comfortable with his body. At 6’10” and 240 lbs, he is one of the biggest players on tour. That didn’t stop him from baring it all for the masses in the 2013 issue of the Body Issue. The comfort wasn’t always there… in college, he claimed to be 6’8″, 198 lbs and a “Tall, goofy, underdeveloped kid.” Seems to have grown into himself nicely.
3. He’s a self-proclaimed big geek
He plays fantasy “everything,” and his favorite guilty pleasure? WWE Wrestling. He knows all the stars, both past and current, and still follows it religiously.
4. He’s a sweater
Okay, if you have watched any of his matches, you probably know this. He goes through as many shirts (and often shorts) in a match as anyone else out there. Can’t blame him, though, that’s a big
body to run all over the court!
5. His nickname in college was “Grandpa”
“I move slow. It’s not that I’m late; I’m methodical. If I have to get ready for an eight o’clock dinner, I start at seven. I don’t shower for twenty minutes, I just take my time. I lay stuff out. Every night before a match, I pack my bag and put it in front of the door.… I guess I’m type A. It started when I became a homeowner. If I see a little dirt, the next thing you know I’ve got the handheld vacuum out; then I’m Swiffering the floors.” Pretty ironic for one of the fastest servers on tour!
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