Tennis Star to Retire After US Open: 'Right Way to Go'
John Isner announced his retirement from tennis after 17 years.
A tennis veteran will be retiring very soon. John Isner recently announced his retirement from tennis will begin after he finishes competing in the US Open. The 38-year-old received a wild card invitation to play in the final Grand Slam of the year and went to Instagram to share the news.
"There comes a time in every athlete's career that they have to decide to hang it up, for me that time is now," Inser wrote in the Instagram post. I didn't come at this decision lightly, but I feel it is the right way to go. When I left the University of Georgia in 2007, there was no way I could imagine playing 17 years on the ATP Tour. Of course, there are countless matches I wish I could have back but I am proud of what I was able to accomplish. The was nothing short of incredible."
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.
— John Isner (@JohnIsner) August 23, 2023
The @usopen will be my final event. Time to lace ‘em up one last time. ❤️ ♥️ 💜 pic.twitter.com/GyRTXGNK8G
Isner continued: "The US Open will be my last tournament, and I can't think of a better way to go out than competing in New York City. I have participated in the US Open for each of the 17 years of my career and I'm looking forward to playing my last match in front of the American fans in Flushing Meadows."
Isner is known for making tennis history in 2010 when he defeated Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon in a match that lasted 11 hours and five minutes across three days. It is the longest match in tennis history, and Isner won the match in five sets. Isner has yet to win a Grand Slam but did reach the quarterfinals of the US Open twice (2011, 2018) and Wimbledon in 2018. Isner has won 16 singles tournaments in his career, and his highest ATP ranking was No. 8 in 2018. In 2012, Isner represented the United States in the London Summer Olympics and reached the quarterfinals. On the doubles side, Isner won eight tournaments and his highest ranking was No. 14 in 2022.
"I won't sit here and pretend this transition is going to be easy because it won't be, Isner wrote in the post. For a large part of those past 20+ years, all I've known is tennis. Waking up every morning with the goal of becoming a better player is something I always took immense pride in, and now I'll have to channel my energy elsewhere. It's a challenge I'm looking forward to.