John Isner's tennis career comes to a close following US Open defeat: 'It's tough to say goodbye'

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North Carolina native John Isner once rose to the No. 8 spot in the tennis world rankings. Thursday marked his final match as a professional tennis player. 

Isner suffered a loss against fellow American Michael Mmoh in the second round of the U.S. Open at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York, and will now enter into retirement.

"It’s been a huge part of my life. It’s tough to say goodbye. It’s not easy," the 38-year-old said during a news conference on Thursday. "But eventually, this day would come. It’s hard to prepare for the emotions of it."

Isner faced a pair of tiebreakers during the final set of both his singles and doubles match. Despite the defeats, Isner expressed appreciation for the crowd on hand, who gave him a standing ovation. 

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John Isner waves to the crowd after a final career match loss against Michael Mmoh during their Mens Singles Second Round match on Day Four of the 2023 U.S. Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York, on Thursday. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

"There’s, of course, a lot of disappointment with the result of my singles match today, but at the same time a lot of gratitude, as well, just to have one last time playing in an atmosphere like that. It was very cool. As I said on the court, that’s why I work so hard," Isner said.

"Hard to explain how bad my body feels — I’m not (about) talking right now, because it does, but just in general, lately. So everything I do to get it ready to play, there’s a lot that goes into it. I wanted one more U.S. Open and was able to get that."

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