John Isner will serve the final aces of his career at this year’s US Open. After being on tour for over 16 years, he will bid goodbye to the sport. Isner was offered a wildcard to participate in the event and has not missed the US Open since 2007 as a wildcard. He had made his grand slam debut at the event and now will be playing his final match at the very same event, kind of like a full-circle moment.
The American has played 21 matches this season and reached the final at Dallas in February. Isner announced on social media that he will retire after the US Open. The 38-year-old posted a family picture from the Wimbledon courts. Isner, his wife, Madison Keys, and their four kids were seen smiling while sitting on the court.
After 17+ years on the @atptour, it’s time to say goodbye to professional tennis. This transition won’t be easy but I’m looking forward to every second of it with my amazing family.
The @usopen will be my final event. Time to lace ‘em up one last time. ❤️ ♥️ 💜 pic.twitter.com/GyRTXGNK8G
— John Isner (@JohnIsner) August 23, 2023
He was the top-ranked American player for eight years and was ranked in the top 20 from 2010-2019. At 208 cm, Isner is the third tallest player after Ivo Karlovic and Reilly Opelka. His towering height has helped him serve 14,411 in 770 matches. He is the first and so far only player to cross the 14,000 aces mark.
John Isner and his title-winning streaks at home
Isner has won 16 titles in his career, of which 14 of them have come at home. He has won at Auckland twice, which remains the only event Isner won outside the US. The three-time grand slam quarterfinalist won at Atlanta a record six times and four times at Newport.
To our 2018 Singles Champion, our 2022 Doubles Champion and the Serve Bot, congrats on an incredible career! 👏
Thank you for being an incredible ambassador for our sport in the U.S. over the years, @JohnIsner! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/Jf0Xj1YCaA
— Miami Open (@MiamiOpen) August 23, 2023
In 2018, Isner won his biggest title by defeating Alexander Zverev in the final at the Miami Masters 1000. He has reached the finals five times at the Masters 1000 but captured the trophy once. On the contrary, he won five Masters 1000 titles in doubles, including two last year. He has had his share of success in doubles but his history in singles is indeed a long one.
John Isner: The Marathon man of tennis
Isner has been recognized for playing unbelievably long matches over the course of his career. Most famously, the former world No.8 was involved in the longest match in the history of tennis. In 2010 at Wimbledon, Isner secured victory in the first round against Nicolas Mahut in a match that lasted for 11 hours and five minutes, with the final set lasting for over eight hours. The scoreboard read 6-4, 3-6, 6-7, 7-6, 70-68.
Isner’s best performance in a grand slam came in the 2018 Wimbledon championships, where he reached the semifinals but lost against Kevin Anderson in a match that lasted for 6 hours and 36 minutes. This epic match prompted Wimbledon to introduce tiebreaks for the fifth set. Isner’s strong serve has not only pushed his matches to longer durations but also led to endless tiebreaks.
No player has ever mastered tiebreaks like Isner, as he has played over 836 tiebreaks and has won 504 of them. Last year, he was involved in the longest tiebreak on the ATP tour against Opelka. Although Isner lost the 46-point tiebreaker, he added it to his pre-existing records. As the 16-time tour title winner steps onto the court for the last time, fans and fellow players will be eager to see him serve a few more memorable aces.
