WATCH: “It’s tough to say goodbye” – John Isner breaks down in tears while talking about his journey during the last press conference of his career at US Open

Isner lost the match with a score of 3-6, 4-6, 7-6, 6-4,7-6 to Mmoh.

WATCH: “It’s tough to say goodbye” – John Isner breaks down in tears while talking about his journey during the last press conference of his career at US Open

John Isner crying in his final press conference (Via @TheTennisLetter/X)

American tennis player John Isner announced his retirement last week on the 23rd of August, through his Instagram account. The 2023 US Open marked his last appearance as a professional tennis player. Speaking to the media after his second-round loss, the 38-year-old broke down.

Isner played the last match of his professional career against another fellow American, Michael Mmoh. The two clashed in a thrilling match over the course of five sets. Though Isner was is good form and won the first two sets, his opponent managed to win the subsequent two. This led the duo to engage in a fifth-set tiebreaker. In a nail-bitingly close clash, Mmoh defeated Isner in the last set. Isner lost the match with a score of 3-6, 4-6, 7-6, 6-4,7-6 to Mmoh.

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Isner’s second-round loss marked his elimination from the Grand Slam. In a press conference post his match, the player broke down in tears while talking about his retirement. “Tennis has been a huge part of my life. It’s tough to say goodbye. Eventually this day would come. It’s hard to prepare for the emotions,” the 38-year-old explained. Focusing on his future, Isner acknowledged that he has an amazing life ahead, and that he looks forward to “every second of that.”

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The former World. No. 8 holds the record for playing the longest tennis match in history. At a first-round match against Nicolas Mahut back in 2010 at the Wimbledon Men’s singles event, Isner came on top of his opponent. The match lasted 11 hours and five minutes and was spread out over 3 days. Eventually, Mahut lost to Isner with a score of 6-4, 3-6, 6-7, 7-6, 70-68 over 5 sets.

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John Isner thanks his fans

John Isner
John Isner (Image via: FirstSportz)

Isner lost to Michael Mmoh after the former made a brilliant comeback on Friday in the second round of the ongoing Grand Slam tournament. In an interview after the match, the 38-year-old made sure to thank his fans for being supportive of him. “This is why I’ve worked as hard as I have my whole life to play in atmospheres like this. Of course, I don’t win them all, as we know. Just like today, to play in front of this crowd and have the support I have is pretty special. So thank you,”  he said.

The American had a brilliant career run. He has held the career-high rank of World No. 8 in singles and World No. 14 in doubles. Though he hasn’t won any Majors, Isner has set several records. Apart from winning the longest tennis match in history, he also holds the record for serving the most career aces (14,411).

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