John Isner admits he wants to forget his marathon Wimbledon match against Nicholas Mahut calling it a ‘war of attrition’

John Isner says being a part of the longest match in tennis history was not a fond memory.

John Isner admits he wants to forget his marathon Wimbledon match against Nicholas Mahut calling it a ‘war of attrition’

John Isner and Nicholas Mahut (Image via: SportsCrazy and csmonitor)

American tennis player John Isner, best known for his serve and the famous 11-hour match at Wimbledon, discussed his post-retirement life in a recent interview.

As per the former tennis professional himself, interestingly, his 11-hour-long Wimbledon match with Nicholas Mahut was such a hot and trending topic in the tennis world that he wants to forget that match altogether.  

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The one match everyone talks about in 2010, I will never, ever forget that match, even though I might want to. 11 hours and 5 minutes in 2010.
The American said in an interview via nbcdfw.com

Furthermore, John Isner mentioned how he would not call playing and winning the longest match in tennis history a blissful memory. He stated:

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I don’t want to call it a fond memory because it wasn't that much fun playing in that match. It was just a war of attrition out there.

For the uninitiated, John Isner faced Nicholas Mahut in the first round of Wimbledon in 2010. The play was stopped multiple times due to daylight fading. The fifth set was tied at 59 games, all before the game was stopped for a second time. The intense final set lasted for 8 hours and 11 minutes before John Isner finally emerged victorious in the historic match.

Although John Isner hinted that he may want to forget playing in this match, he was quite lucky to be a part of history. The American stated:

But being a part of it, looking back on it was very cool.

John Isner sheds light on his retired life

The 6’10 American, who perhaps has the most powerful and biggest serve in the history of the game, retired from tennis after the US Open this year. John Isner admitted to spending more time with his family and also taking his son to court every now and then for practice sessions.

John Isner ( Credits: ESPN)

That’s not all; Isner also mentioned that although he is really grateful for all the great memories, the hardship that tennis required started taking a heavy toll on his body. And that’s exactly why he decided to part ways with tennis professionally.

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