John Isner, the veteran tennis player with a 17-year career, bid farewell to professional tennis after his second-round loss to fellow American Michael Mmoh at the US Open. Isner had announced his retirement on social media prior to the tournament.
In a match lasting nearly four hours, Isner, at 38 years old, addressed the enthusiastic crowd at Grandstand with tears and emotion. He expressed gratitude for the support he had received throughout his career, saying, "This is why I've worked as hard as I have my whole life, to play in atmospheres like this."
As Isner left the court, he received a standing ovation from the spectators, waving in appreciation before departing.
Isner's tennis career was marked by significant achievements, including 16 ATP singles titles, eight doubles titles, and a Wimbledon semifinal appearance in 2018. He spent ten seasons in the year-end top 20 rankings and was the top-ranked American male player for eight of those seasons. Notably, he holds the ATP record for the most career aces with 14,470 and also holds the record for the fastest serve at 157.2 miles per hour.
One of the most memorable moments of Isner's career was his role in the longest match in professional tennis history, defeating Nicolas Mahut in a match that lasted over 11 hours at Wimbledon in 2010.
Despite his remarkable career, Isner had struggled during the current season, and his health issues, including a foot injury, influenced his decision to retire. He mentioned that if his results had been better this year, he might not have retired.
Looking ahead, Isner expressed no regrets about his decision to retire and looked forward to spending time with his wife and four children while exploring other interests. He mentioned potential plans for television work as an analyst and exploring business opportunities.
Although he initially stated that it wasn't a final goodbye, Isner ended his professional career by losing a doubles match alongside Jack Sock, another American player who had also announced that the US Open would be his last tournament. They were defeated by Robert Galloway and Albano Olivetti in a match at Court 12.