Isner Withdraws from US Clay With Foot Injury
Two-time Defending Champion Johnson Becomes Top Seed
HOUSTON – John Isner has withdrawn from the upcoming Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship due to the foot injury he suffered in Miami.
“It is really unfortunate that I have to withdraw from Houston, one of my favorite events of the year due to an injury in my foot that occurred in the Miami Open final,” Isner said. “I have played the ATP event in Houston every year since 2008 so it is very disappointing to not compete there this year. I am hopeful that I will be back on the court in a few weeks.”
Isner was playing Roger Federer in the final of the Miami Open when the injury occurred.
This will mark the first time Isner has not appeared in the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship since the tournament moved to River Oaks Country Club in 2008. The 2013 champion, he owns a 15-10 record at the event.
“We are certainly disappointed that John’s injury will keep him off the court for a while and prevent him from playing at River Oaks next week,” said Tournament Director Bronwyn Greer. “We wish John the very best for a speedy recovery and hope he is able to return to his top form soon.
“While our fans will no doubt miss John, we’re still very excited that our 2019 tournament is right around the corner. We’ll have our first players arriving into town on Thursday, and we are eager to welcome our field and our fans back to River Oaks very soon.”
Steve Johnson, the two-time defending US Clay champion, becomes the No. 1 seed as a result of Isner’s withdrawal. Johnson is bidding to be the first player three-peat at US Clay since Bobby Riggs did so in 1936-38.
Away from the tournament action, this year’s tournament will feature a new dining and shopping experience for fans called The Courtyard. This area will feature a food and drink offerings from Goode Co. as well as shopping from Tenenbaum Jewelers, Tootsies, L’Etoile as well as a selection of tournament merchandise at The Clay Court Shop.
A very limited supply of tickets remain for selection tournament sessions. Fans holding tickets for sessions they cannot attend are encouraged to return those tickets to the tournament through the Ticket Turnback Program. Those tickets can then be resold, with the entire purchase price being donated to Pediatric Trauma at Children’s Memorial Hermann. Information on ticket sales and the Turnback program can be found on mensclaycourt.com.
