American giant John Isner, best known for playing the longest-ever match on the ATP Tour at Wimbledon in 2010, announced on Wednesday that after the US Open, the final Grand Slam tournament of the season, he was in the going to retire.
“After more than 17 years on the ATP circuit, it’s time to say goodbye to professional tennis,” wrote 38-year-old Isner on the social network X, formerly Twitter. The US Open will be my last event.”
Isner is best known for playing the longest match on the ATP Tour against Frenchman Nicolas Mahut. In 2010, the duel on the Wimbledon lawn lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes over three days and ended with the American winning 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7/9), 7-6 (7) . /3), 70-68.
“70-68 is a basketball result!” he laughed, saying he would never forget that result.
The right-hander reached the quarterfinals twice, in 2011 and 2018 at Flushing Meadows, with his nearly 2.10 meters and one of the strongest serves on the circuit.
However, “This transition will not be easy,” said the former world No. 8, assuring he was “impatient” to see it with his wife and four children.
With a tally of 14,411, Isner holds the record for the number of aces batted ahead of the US Open, which begins on Monday.
He was the highest-ranked American at the ATP for nine straight years, between 2012 and 2020, and stayed in the top 20 from 2010 to 2019.
The Greensboro giant has 16 singles titles to his name, including 14 wins in the United States, including the prestigious Miami Masters 1000 wrested from Alexander Zverev in 2018.