By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday January 11, 2021

John Isner will not play the 2021 Australian Open.

The American broke the news during his press conference after falling to Sebastian Korda at the Delray Beach Open on Monday night.



"I'm not going this year," said Isner. "I'm staying home."

Isner, 35 and a father of two, says it was a difficult decision to make. With the strict coronavirus protocols in place at this year’s Australian Open, travelling with family is prohibited.

"At this stage in my career and in my life, I've always had visions of being able to travel with my family, and of course that is not the case, that wouldn't be the case for Australia this year - understandably so, I get it,” Isner said. “It really was just a situation where I didn't want to be away from my family for that long, so I decided to stay home."

The American, who has twice reached the round of 16 at the Australian Open but never beyond, says he is still committed to the sport, and hopes to play a full season once the tour resumes after the Australian Open.

“Certainly right now tennis is not the most important thing in my life. It's my family, but me not going to Australia doesn't mean that I'm not committed at all because I still am. I'm healthy and I feel really good and I'll continue to take care of my body, so once the tour gets back from Australia I look forward to playing as full of a season as I possibly can."