United States John Isner: The Gentle Giant Who Played Tennis's Longest Match
Most tennis players are remembered for a trophy. John Isner will be remembered for a scoreline: 70-68. That was the fifth set of his first-round match against Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon in 2010, a contest that lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes over three days and still stands as the longest match in tennis history. But if that is all you know about the 6-foot-10 American, you are missing one of the most likeable and quietly impressive careers of his generation.
From Greensboro to Georgia
Isner was born on 26 April 1985 in Greensboro, North Carolina. Unlike most modern pros, he did not turn professional as a teenager. He went to the University of Georgia, played four years of college tennis for the Bulldogs, and studied speech communication. He led Georgia to the 2007 NCAA team title and only then joined the pro tour, at 22.
That college path matters to his story. He arrived late, physically unusual and without the polished junior pedigree of his rivals, and he built a 16-year career anyway. Within weeks of turning pro he reached the final of the ATP event in Washington, and later that summer he took a set off Roger Federer at the US Open.
The Serve (and More Than the Serve)
At 2.08 metres, Isner hit down on the ball from a height almost nobody else could reach. His serve was the defining weapon of his era: he finished his career as the ATP's all-time leader in aces, with more than 14,000, and he recorded an official serve of about 157 mph (253 km/h) in Davis Cup play in 2016.
What fans sometimes forgot is how much work went into the rest. His forehand was a big, heavy shot, his hands around the net were soft for such a tall man, and he became one of the best tiebreak players in history. In 2023 he became the first player in the Open Era to win 500 tiebreaks. When your service games are close to automatic, sets are decided in tiebreaks, and Isner lived in them.
The limitation was movement. Long baseline rallies and returning big servers were his weak spots, which is why he spent most of his career in the top 20 rather than challenging for Grand Slam titles.
The Mahut Match
Nobody planned the 2010 Isner-Mahut match to become history. It was a first-round meeting on Court 18. The first four sets were played on day one, the fifth set started on day two and ran until darkness at 59-59, and Isner finally won it 70-68 on day three. The electronic scoreboard famously stopped working. Isner was so exhausted he lost his next match in under 75 minutes. A plaque on Court 18 still marks the occasion, and the match was one of the reasons Wimbledon eventually introduced a final-set tiebreak.
The Best Years: 2018
Isner's peak came late, in his early thirties. In March 2018 he won the Miami Open, beating Alexander Zverev in the final for his first and only Masters 1000 singles title. That summer at Wimbledon he reached his only Grand Slam semi-final, where he lost to Kevin Anderson 26-24 in the fifth set after 6 hours and 36 minutes, the second-longest match in history. That marathon, too, pushed Wimbledon toward changing its rules.
He reached his career-high ranking of world No. 8 in July 2018 and qualified for the ATP Finals that November. He also reached the US Open quarter-finals in 2011 and 2018.
Titles and Atlanta
Isner won 16 ATP singles titles in all, and six of them came at the Atlanta Open between 2013 and 2021, a record for the event. He also won Newport on grass several times and was a very good doubles player, collecting eight doubles titles, five of them at Masters 1000 level, often alongside Jack Sock. For years he was a pillar of the US Davis Cup team and the American No. 1.
A Fitting Goodbye
Isner announced that the 2023 US Open would be his last tournament. His final singles match, on 31 August 2023, was a five-set second-round loss to fellow American Michael Mmoh, decided, of course, by a fifth-set tiebreak. He served 48 aces that night. He finished his career with more than $22 million in prize money.
Life After Tennis
Isner has stayed close to the game. He co-hosts the "Nothing Major" podcast with former tour players Sam Querrey and Steve Johnson, which has become one of the more popular listens among tennis fans. He joined TNT Sports for its Roland-Garros coverage in 2025, and in 2026 took on an expanded analyst role across the full two weeks in Paris.
He has also embraced pickleball. He signed with paddle maker Selkirk in 2023 and has played exhibitions and the occasional pro event, though he has said he does not plan to compete full time.
At home, he and his wife Madison McKinley, a jewellery designer, have four children, the youngest born in 2023.
Why He Matters
Isner proved there is more than one way to build a great tennis career. He came through college, never had the movement of a natural baseliner, and still spent more than a decade near the top of the game, won a Masters title and reached a Wimbledon semi-final. He also gave tennis two of its most famous marathons and helped change the rules of the sport's oldest tournament.
That last point deserves a moment. After the Anderson semi-final left the Wimbledon final running late and one finalist exhausted, the All England Club introduced a tiebreak at 12-12 in the final set from 2019. In 2022 all four Grand Slams went further and agreed on a first-to-10 tiebreak at 6-6 in the deciding set. So when you watch a Slam today and a fifth set ends in a tidy tiebreak instead of a 70-68 slog, you are watching a rule shaped, in part, by John Isner. Fittingly, his own career ended in exactly that kind of tiebreak.
Quick Facts
- Born: 26 April 1985, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
- Height: 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in)
- Plays: Right-handed, two-handed backhand
- College: University of Georgia (NCAA team champion 2007)
- Career-high ranking: No. 8 (16 July 2018)
- ATP singles titles: 16, including the 2018 Miami Open and six Atlanta titles
- Doubles titles: 8, including five Masters 1000
- Best Grand Slam result: Wimbledon semi-final 2018
- Records: most aces in ATP history; longest match ever played (Wimbledon 2010, 11 h 5 min)
- Retired: after the 2023 US Open
- Now: TNT Sports analyst, podcast co-host, occasional pickleball player
Last updated: September 2026