Isner Hires Broadcaster Gimelstob as Coach

December 10, 2014 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
Photo credit: Adam Wolfthal

The coaching merry-go-round continues to spin throughout professional tennis as the sport’s offseason once again brings with it a number of coaching hires and firings. The most recent on the men’s side Wednesday, as top-ranked American John Isner announced a new coaching agreement with former player and current Tennis Channel broadcaster Justin Gimelstob for the 2015 campaign.

“I’m really excited to start working with Justin. He has so much experience within the tennis business and I’ve long respected his knowledge of the sport. I think it will be great for me to have a new perspective helping me with my game,” said Isner. “I had a great run with Mike [Sell] and feel I really learned a lot from him throughout the course of our coaching relationship. I just thought it was time to try something new, and with Justin I believe I will have a strong, and passionate new voice on my team.”

Gimelstob spent a number of years on the ATP World Tour as a player, capturing 13 ATP doubles titles. He won mixed-doubles titles at the 1998 Australian Open and French Open with fellow American Venus Williams. He retired in 2007 and quickly jumped onto the TV side as a broadcaster for the Tennis Channel, but says that coaching has always been a part of who he is.

“Coaching is in my blood,” said Gimelstob. “My father and uncle were both basketball coaches, and I had the good fortune of working with some of the best tennis coaches in the world during my career. I have the highest regard for the level of commitment coaching a player of John’s pedigree entails.

I am excited for the new challenge, and look forward to pursuing it with a player that I believe in so much.”

The coaching relationship will begin immediately as Gimelstob will help the 19th-ranked ATP Males Singles player Isner with his offseason training.  Isner’s 2015 season begins in Auckland, New Zealand as the 29-year-old seeks to defend his title at the Heineken Open. 


Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
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