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John Isner's comment mocking the latest CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines on Covid-19 has angered fans who believe that the retired player is spreading misinformation.
Isner sarcastically said that there was a time when playing tennis outside was deemed illegal because of Covid. But now, the CDC's new guidelines equate it with flu and has even dropped the 'five-day isolation' period.
Fans said that there was a time when tennis players didn't pretend to know more than medical professionals. They reminded him that the guidelines were issued when there were neither vaccines nor treatment for Covid-19 but the world now has both.
"We have a f****ng retired tennis player pushing misinformation about Covid-19. What f****ng timeline is this?," a fan posted on X (formerly Twitter).
"You really are one of the worst kinds of people," another fan said.
"I remember when the authorities wanted us to isolate bc we didn’t have vaccines or treatment and people we cared about were dying. We can now bc we have both. But go play tennis, Jon. You were once good at that," a fan said.
Here are some more reactions:
John Isner supported US citizen who refused to take Covid jab
John Isner, who retired after the US Open in 2023, had earlier voiced support for an American citizen who refused to take the Covid-19 vaccine. Isner supported American writer, radio host and TV analyst Clay Travis who took to social media to share a clip in which a US citizen refused to take the Covid-19 vaccine stating that the information provided to people about the jabs was not adequate.
Travis applauded the citizen for questioning the medical community on his social media handle. Isner seconded Travis' view and wrote in his reply that it was fantastic. He also supported World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who had to withdraw from several tournaments due to his "unvaccinated" status.
Isner was feared by his opponents throughout his career for his powerful serve. He holds the record for the most number of aces on the ATP Tour (14470).
John Isner set a new record with the fastest "official serve" on the ATP Tour (157.2 mph or 253 km/h) at the Davis Cup in 2016.
