The Olympic final had everyone on the edge of their seats – even retired ATP star John Isner.
Novak Djokovic was finally triumphant in his quest for a gold medal after defeating Carlos Alcaraz in an epic clash that will go down in the sport’s history.
Alcaraz came unstuck by the Serb’s mental fortitude across two immaculate tiebreak sets, but it wasn’t just the final that got people talking.
Lorenzo Musetti and Felix Auger-Aliassime’s battle for a bronze medal went the distance, and it seemed to get Isner thinking.
What does John Isner want to see introduced on the ATP Tour?
John Isner retired from professional tennis following the conclusion of the 2023 US Open.
However, the American has still been involved in the sport and has recently thought of a new idea that he believes should be introduced across certain tournaments on the ATP Tour.
“In the Olympics, you compete for that third place,” Isner explained on the ‘Nothing Major’ podcast. “I would like to see that implemented, not every single tournament on tour, but some tournaments.
“If you make it to the semi-finals, I’d like to see a little third-fourth match. It’s a little appetizer to the final match that comes after.
“I would absolutely [be fired up for it]. The players would want to compete for that, for sure.”
Steve Johnson, who was not so fond of the idea, replied: “That sounds horrible dude, that’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard.”
Would a third-place play-off work on the ATP Tour?
A third-place play-off has always worked well at the Olympics, but could it work on the tour?
Isner believes that it would incentivize the players if there were more prize money and ranking points up for grabs.
This concept does also mean that a player who is unsuccessful in their semi-final is given the opportunity to finish the week on a high.
However, it is likely that this interesting idea won’t be making it past the drawing board anytime soon.
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