John Isner's US Open and tennis career end in a 5th-set tiebreak loss

John Isner's career ended with a final-set tiebreaker, losing in the U.S. Open second round to Michael Mmoh.

John Isner bid farewell to his tennis career in a dramatic fashion, ending his final singles tournament with a final-set tiebreaker. The American player fell to compatriot Michael Mmoh in the second round of the U.S. Open, losing 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4, 7-6 (7).

Isner, 38, who required a wild card to enter the tournament, displayed his signature powerful serves, hitting a remarkable 48 aces and winning 86% of his first-serve points. However, his performance was marred by 63 unforced errors. The crowd at the Grandstand erupted in cheers as Isner tearfully addressed them, expressing his disappointment and acknowledging his hard work.

Throughout his career, Isner achieved a career-best ranking of No. 8 in 2018, shortly after reaching the semifinals at Wimbledon. He amassed 16 singles titles and set an ATP Tour record with 14,470 aces. Notably, he holds the record for the longest match in tennis history, an 11-hour, 5-minute battle against Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon in 2010, which ended with a fifth-set score of 70-68.

Meanwhile, Michael Mmoh, ranked 89th, advanced to the next round, where he will face Jack Draper. Draper caused an upset by defeating an apparently injured Hubert Hurkacz 6-2, 6-4, 7-5. Draper, a 21-year-old British player who recently returned to the tour after a shoulder injury, showcased his strength with powerful serves and groundstrokes. In contrast, Hurkacz appeared lethargic at times, even calling for medical assistance during a changeover in the final set.

The loss was a disappointment for Hurkacz, the 17th seed from Poland, who had a strong showing in the Cincinnati tune-up event, reaching the semifinals and narrowly missing out on a victory against No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz.

On the women's side, second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka cruised to a straightforward victory over Jodie Burrage of Britain, winning 6-2, 6-3 in just over an hour. Sabalenka now looks ahead to a third-round match against Clara Burel of France, who defeated No. 25 seed Karolina Pliskova 6-4, 6-2.

Other notable results from the U.S. Open include ninth-seeded Marketa Vondrousova's dominant 6-2, 6-2 win over Martina Trevisan, No. 17 seed Madison Keys' commanding 6-1, 6-2 victory over Yanina Wickmayer, and No. 26 seed Elina Svitolina's hard-fought 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 win against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

In another match, sixth-seeded Jannik Sinner defeated fellow Italian Lorenzo Sonego 6-4, 6-2, 6-4. Sinner, who has never lost to an Italian opponent, improved his record to 10-0 against his countrymen. After reaching the semifinals at Wimbledon this year and the quarterfinals at last year's U.S. Open, Sinner aims for a deep run at Flushing Meadows.

Alexander Zverev, the No. 12 seed, made a successful return to outer Court 17, defeating fellow German Daniel Altmaier 7-6 (1), 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. Zverev, a finalist at the U.S. Open in 2020, will face No. 19 seed Grigor Dimitrov in the next round. Dimitrov secured a convincing victory over Andy Murray, winning 6-3, 6-4, 6-1.

As the tournament progresses, exciting matchups await, including defending champion Carlos Alcaraz facing Lloyd Harris, and No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula taking on Patricia Maria Tig in night matches on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Overall, the U.S. Open continues to captivate tennis fans with its thrilling matches and unexpected outcomes.