The Marathon man in perpetual motion

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John Isner has done it again! Playing marathon matches has been his hallmark and the American has just played yet another time-stopper.

Just a few days ago, Isner told the media that he wanted to let his performance go beyond that multiple record-breaking saga that lasted 11 hours and five minutes against Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon.

"Of course, everyone is going to remember that match in 2010, and rightfully so. I like to think that, since that match, I’ve done a lot of good stuff on the court performance-wise. But for a lot of people, that’s definitely the lasting image of my career. If I can keep going further here, I can maybe squash that,” the ninth-seeded said.

A few days later, he made it to the semifinal at SW19 to record the career-best progress at the All England Club. However, in his quest for the final appearance, Isner almost rekindled the memory of eight years ago.

The "Marathon Man," known for the obvious reason, painstakingly played for a mind-boggling six hours and 36 minutes in his semifinal defeat at the hands of the "Endurance Man" Kevin Anderson. The score-line of the boring-to-death match was 7-6(6) 6-7(5), 6-7(9), 6-4, 26-24 as it became the second-longest match in Wimbledon history after his 6–4, 3–6, 6–7, 7–6, 70–68 win over Mahut in 2010 shattered a slew of tennis records.

John Isner (L) of the US and France's Nicolas Mahut pose next to the scoreboard on court 18 after their record-breaking match at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 24, 2010 in London, England. The match was the longest in Grand Slam history. /VCG Photo

In the match, Isner not only accomplished the record for most aces in a match, shattering Ivo Karlovic’s record of 78 but also set a new milestone of 113 aces, ahead of the 103 aces served by Mahut. The 92 games, Isner won, was also the record for most games won in a Wimbledon match.

The 2.08-meter-tall American – one of the tallest players ever to play on the tour after Karlovic and his compatriot Reilly Opelka – had featured in the second-longest ever match in the French Open history after being out-endured 6–7, 6–4, 6–4, 3–6, 18–16 by Paul-Henri Mathieu in the second round in Roland Garros in 2012 in a battle that lasted for five hours and 41 minutes.

Kevin Anderson of South Africa (R) and John Isner of the US react to match point at the end of their Men's Singles semifinal match of Wimbledon on July 13, 2018 in London, England. /VCG Photo

But what does it take to be a ‘Marathon Man’? “I think just with my serve, at the very worst, that’s what will keep me in the match,” Isner said during an earlier interview. “That’s why sometimes some of my matches can drag on a bit.”

Nonetheless, the man who has played three of the longest matches in two of the majors has surely left a lasting impression with his marathon endurance than his failure to reach a single Grand Slam final.