As a tennis fanatic, it would be remiss of me not to mention the greatest match in tennis history when American John Isner beat Frenchman Nicolas Mahut 70 to 68 in the 5th set last week. That’s right 70 games to 68 games in the fifth set because one must win by two in the fifth set at Wimbledon. The 11 hour, 5 minute match spanned over 3 days and finished when John Isner hit a solid down the line two-handed backhand to seal the deal.
The previous record for longest match was at the 2004 French open, lasting now just a paltry 6 hours and 33 minutes. It is completely unfathomable that a match could last so long, simply because it is unconscionable how Nicolas Mahut could hold serve over 60 games in a row to survive! The physical endurance is one thing, but what’s most impressive is the mental fortitude both players had to never give up.
LESSONS LEARNED