John Isner is playing his latest professional tennis matches at the US Open 2023. Here is a look back at John Isner’s career.

John Isner’s Career

The “face of American tennis,” John Isner, announced his retirement after completing the US Open. Known for his participation in the longest tennis match in history at Wimbledon in 2010, as well as his win against Federer at the Davis Cup match in Switzerland, the US tennis ace is looking forward to having more time to spend with his family.

Early Beginnings and Playing Style

While John Isner started playing tennis at 9, he didn’t take the sport seriously until he was 11. From then on, it became a large part of his life, with him becoming a sought-after player by the time he reached college. His height has greatly benefited him, assisting him in consistently producing a powerful serve. At 6’10”, he is currently the third-tallest player on the ATP tour.

Memorable Matches and Achievements

The 2007 Washington Open was Isner’s first ever ATP-level tournament, which he joined last-minute as a wildcard, thanks to a late withdrawal by another player. He performed well, and this week-long tournament helped raise his ranking to 193 after only six weeks of being pro.

In 2010, he played a match against Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon, which lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes and was played over three days. It is the longest tennis match in recorded history. Interestingly, Isner was also a competitor in the second-longest match, played against South Africa’s Kevin Anderson at Wimbledon 2018.

This same year was his best in terms of Grand Slam performances, as well as world rankings. He reached the semifinals of a Grand Slam for the first time at Wimbledon and the quarter-finals for a second time at the US Open. By the end of the season, he was ranked 8th in the world.

He became the oldest player to win the ATP Masters 1000 singles title in 2018 at 32. He also won 5 Masters 1000 doubles titles and has played and won against world champions such as Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray.

Consistency and Longevity

The star began his professional career at the age of 22 in 2007, and by 2010 he had achieved a world ranking of 18th by working hard to improve his game, which helped him to maintain his position in the top 20 for a decade.

In an Instagram post announcing his retirement, Isner stated the following: “The U.S. 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 U.S. Open for 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.”

Next Generation: Players to Watch

While it is always sad to see one of the greats leave the professional circuit, there are always new faces to watch in tennis. And just as Isner showed the world in 2007, a wildcard player can really shake things up!

Some key players to watch in the upcoming season include:

• Frenchman Arthur Fils – already an ATP player and ranked 29th in the world at the age of 19
• Britain’s Jack Draper – has reached rank 38th and won games against the top 25
• USA’s Alex Michelsen, who is climbing up the ranks at a rapid pace, won a match against Isner in the Newport semi-finals

Betting and Future Prospects

Some of the best ranked sportsbook sites gave John Isner +30000 odds of winning his final US Open before the start of the event. This would be the first US Open win for Isner and the first American win since 2003. While it would be a fantastic career-ender for Isner, these long odds suggest his chances are pretty slim. However, the US Open is also a great place to watch for up-and-coming players.

These include the likes of Alex Michelsen, who has shown great promise in his performance in the ATL Tour thus far, and Sebastian Korda, the crowd favorite of 2023, who is back in the game after an injury at the Australian Open. Could one of these replace the Old Guard when he leaves the game in the coming days? Time will tell, but either way, fans will watch these newcomers carefully to find out who will be the next big names in tennis. Take note of surprising wins, big jumps in ranking, and late entry wildcards if you want to stay on top of the game (and your betting odds).