“That was based on your match at Wimbledon?!?”: John Isner and Sam Querrey react to ‘absurd Wimbledon movie

Tennis stars John Isner, Jack Sock, Sam Querrey, and Steve Johnson recently discussed one of the sport’s most divisive topics: movies about tennis. Capturing the speed, precision, and drama of tennis on screen is notoriously difficult. Even professional players notice when films misrepresent rallies, court positioning, or serve sequences.

While feature films often fall short, documentaries can offer a more realistic glimpse into players’ lives. “I can only imagine the documentary hopefully shows a lot of his off-court habits and whatnot, just to see him as a person outside of the great competitor and tennis player he is,” said Steve Johnson, referring to Carlos Alcaraz’s Netflix documentary A Mi Manera.

Fiction films such as Wimbledon, starring Paul Bettany and Kirsten Dunst, often mix nostalgia with frustration. While the romantic storylines can appeal to a general audience, the tennis sequences rarely satisfy players.

Johnson explained the common issues: “The hardest thing I have when watching a tennis movie, and I can’t make it through most of them, is how bad the tennis is. Like when they clip things together. Somebody will be hitting a forehand cross court, and then they cut to the next person hitting a backhand from the ad side. It makes no sense. Like they get the tennis wrong, they'll serve from the deuce and the ball will land in the ad side.”

Documentaries, however, often strike the right balance between realism and storytelling. Johnson praised the Mardy Fish documentary, which combined authentic tennis action with an engaging narrative: “Good stuff. Proper tennis, good storyline. And they got everything right,” he said, emphasizing that documentaries can satisfy both casual viewers and professional players by showing the sport accurately while keeping the story compelling.

Comedy and mockumentaries have a unique power to capture tennis in ways traditional films cannot. John Isner highlighted his experience with 7 Days in Hell, a satirical take on a fictional three-day Wimbledon match that spirals into absurdity: “I saw it like once and actually maybe like once, one and a half times there was a mockumentary of my match from Wimbledon,” he said, leaving Sam Querrey visibly surprised.

7 Days in Hell exaggerates every aspect of professional tennis—marathon rallies, bizarre injuries, and chaotic plot twists—making it both hilarious and strangely relatable to anyone who has witnessed a grueling match. Querrey’s reaction captured the incredulity shared by many: “That was based on your match at Wimbledon?!? Why aren’t we just hearing about this?”

Isner responded: “What other match went three days? I mean, yeah. And Kit Harington from Game of Thrones… The two guys that played a match at Wimbledon that would never end.” The absurdity is part of the movie’s charm, blending comedy with the chaos of tennis drama in a way that few films dare to attempt.

Isner admitted he didn’t even know about the movie’s release at first: “I didn't even know about it until like week four it came out, and I watched it, and it was completely absurd. It’s ridiculous, but it captures the chaos and obsession of a long match in a way no other tennis movie does.” By leaning into comedy and exaggeration, 7 Days in Hell succeeds in a way traditional films often fail—portraying the spirit of tennis without being constrained by realism.