John Isner and Sam Querrey both agree on tennis rule which ‘100%’ needs to be changed

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John Isner and Sam Querrey were two of the most prolific servers on the ATP Tour during their time as professionals.

Isner and Querrey won several big titles with their serves during their career, establishing themselves as two of the biggest names in American tennis.

Isner standing at 6ft8, and Querrey at 6ft5, were smart to take advantage of their height by making the serve their biggest weapon.

The American duo won a total of 26 ATP titles during their careers, with Isner’s Masters 1000 triumph at the Miami Open the most prestigious.

Isner and Querrey were so good at serving that the pair are in the top ten for aces hit in the history of the sport.

Isner’s 14,470 aces are the most anyone has ever hit, whilst Querrey’s 8,879 is enough for seventh on the list.

Serving dominance such as that definitely gives them the credentials to talk about the topic, so when they argue that a rule about serving needs to be changed, it could well be worth a listen.

John Isner and Sam Querrey ‘100%’ agree on potential serving rule change

Speaking on the Nothing Major podcast, Isner and Querrey spoke about whether throwing the ball up in the air and then catching it should count as a fault.

“The answer is 100%, absolutely should be a fault,” said Isner.

“I think as professional tennis players, the best in the world at what we do, once that ball leaves your hand it’s in play.

“I don’t care if you toss way out to the right, to the left, in front or behind.

“Once you catch it, it’s a fault.”

Isner did however concede that some leeway might need to be given.

“Maybe you get one mulligan per match,” he said.

“I would not even be in favor of that but I think that’s reaching some middle ground, which would be a good start.

“But for me if you throw the ball up you have to hit it, if you don’t it’s a fault.”

Fellow big server Querrey is also on board with the change.

“Completely agree with you. 100%,” he said.

“Once the ball is up you cannot catch it, you have to make a play on it.

“There should not be ball tosses not in play, if you catch it, it’s a fault.”

Who is the best server on the ATP Tour?

Whilst there could potentially be some changes in serving on the horizon, that won’t stop some of the biggest serves on the ATP Tour from acing to their heart’s content.

Whilst Isner and Querrey have hung up the racket, the new generation of stars have been picking up the slack and hitting aces at will.

Alexander Zverev leads the charge with a mighty impressive 758 aces in 2024, with a number of other top ATP stars featuring.

A newer name on tour, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard excited fans with his serving earlier this year, as the 21-year-old burst onto the scene at this year’s Basel Open.

Despite playing just 28 matches in 2024, Perricard leads the ATP Tour for average aces/match, with 19, nearly six more than Hubert Hurkacz with 13.4.

Fans of serving will be happy to know that whilst Isner and Querrey aren’t playing anymore, there are plenty of talented players ready to continue their acing legacy.