John Isner Uses Off-Season For Charity Work (Part 1)

It’s the off-season and, after the busy and memorable 2010 John Isner had, you would think he would take this time to vacation and be away from tennis, right? That is not the case.

In an exclusive interview with The Slice, John said, “Hopefully I’ll be able to take a week or so off when I can visit my friends and family in North Carolina sometime in December. Now I can donate my time to help great causes. That means a lot to me.”

Today, John is hosting a charity exhibition match in Raleigh, N.C. to benefit ovarian cancer research at Duke University Medial Center in support of his friend, Rhyne Andrews, who was diagnosed with the disease over the summer.

“I know Rhyne from the University of Georgia. She’s a fellow Bulldog!” John said.

Rhyne is also the daughter of former professional tennis player Andy Andrews. But besides because of his college friend, ovarian cancer research is very close to John’s heart because his mom, Karen, is a survivor.

“My mom is a strong woman and she is doing great,” John said. “After her battle with the disease, I try to help cancer research as much as I can by taking part in several charity events all over the country when my time allows me to do so.”

Today’s event in Raleigh will begin at 5 p.m. at the J.W. Isenhour Indoor Tennis Center at N.C. State. The lucky attendees will get to see John as well as Luke Jensen, Irina Falconi and Lauren Herring.

John will also be co-hosting another charity event with Sam Querrey on December 6 in Manhattan Beach, C.A. That event, the Charity Challenge, will benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and fund research at the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

“My mom was actually treated at the UNC Lineberger Cancer Center, so giving the money to them was a no-brainer to me,” John said.

Stay tuned for part 2 of my interview with John – his best memories from 2010, his plans for the holidays and his goals for next year.