In June, John Isner battled Nicolas Mahut in the longest match in Wimbledon history. The pair played for more than 11 hours with the American winning 70-68 in the fifth set.
As Isner is learning, participating in a historical match like that will follow you for a long time. There are many issues. The toll it takes on your body. The bond he shares with Mahut. The constant questions at press conferences two month removed from the event. The fact that you’ll always be the guy who won the longest match in history.
How do we know all this? Because The New York Times reporter Greg Bishop pens a story today about Isner. In it, the writer laments the fact that the tennis player can’t break free from the event’s pull. According to the report, “He wanted to move away from that, to be remembered for his climb into the top 20 of the ATP World Tour rankings, his status as a legitimate contender, not as the long guy from the long match.”
You know what’s a great way to help him turn the page? Write a 700-article titled “Isner Struggles to Put Marathon Match in Past” and bring up all the reasons he can’t get beyond it.
Oh wait, no it’s not.