7/8/25: John Isner's Longest Tennis Match, MLB Draft Preview, Finding Humor in the Pain

👏 How John Isner Won the Longest Match in Tennis History 

Behind The Scenes of an 11 Hour Tennis Match

[LINK] It was the marathon of all marathons. On June 22, 2010, American John Isner and Frenchman Nicholas Mahut played a first round match at Wimbledon on Court 18. No one was paying any attention. They played four sets that day when the match was called due to darkness.

Isner and Mahut came back the next day, but the match was halted again because of darkness and the players came back for a third day. Now, everyone was paying attention. 

This was before fifth-set tiebreaker rules at majors and players had to win by two games. So Isner and Mahut played and played and played some more. Finally after three days, 11 hours and 5  minutes, Isner won the fifth set 70-68. The final set took eight hours, 11 minutes.

Isner sat down with Greg Olsen recently to talk about the exhaustion and mental toughness involved in the match. “Neither one of us went away,” said Isner. “Truthfully, being a part of that match for 11 hours was completely miserable. Super relieved that I won it at the end. You can never imagine playing a match for five or six hours, let alone 11. It was insane.”

Isner likened the mental toughness needed to play tennis at a high level to football. “You get 20-25 seconds in between points to regroup and breathe, just like in football,” said Isner. “Sometimes you’re exhausted but you just have to find a way.”

💡MLB Draft: Who is No. 1, Ethan Holiday or Kade Anderson?

Who Will Go Number One Overall?

[LINK] One thing is certain about the MLB draft, which starts on Sunday: The Nationals have the No. 1 pick. Who they will select remains a bit of a mystery. 

To break down this year’s Draft class, Youth Inc. Editor and Chief B.J. Schecter sat down with Baseball America Draft expert Carlos Collazo.

Most people have pegged Ethan Holiday, whose father, Matt, is a former big leaguer, and brother Jackson is a former No. 1 pick, with the first selection. But LSU lefty Kade Anderson has shot up the draft boards after leading LSU to the College World Series title. Interestingly, both players are represented by Scott Boras.

Collazo details a class that’s heavy on high school shortstops and college pitchers. “Recently teams have preferred players to be older, more mature,” said Collazo. “But this year’s crop of high school bats is really intriguing.”

🤣 Before and After the Beep Test: Finding Humor in the Pain

A Source of Comedy From a Dreaded Fitness Challenge

[LINK] The beep test is an infamous preseason fitness challenge where athletes run 20 meters back and forth in time with beeps that get progressively faster. Simple in design but brutal in execution, it's long been a source of dread — and now, a source of comedy on TikTok.

In this trend, athletes film themselves before and after taking on the beep test. The contrast is what makes it so funny: dread and overconfident energy at the start quickly gives way to breathless struggle at the end. In some clips, players even predict the score they think they'll hit.

This trend gives athletes a way to laugh at their struggle and bond over a shared experience that’s as painful as it is unforgettable.

Youth Inc. senior digital editor Ellie Kriebel compiles the best, most grueling and funniest beep test videos.

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WE'VE GOT YOUR NUMBER

2

The number of rookies picked to represent their teams in the MLB All-Star Game (Jacob Wilson & Shane Smith)

“My sister, she works for Morgan Stanley and has to work [this week]. If anyone has any connects and can get her a few days off so we can keep this rolling that would be great.

-Ben Shelton

to the Wimbledon crowd last week. It worked as Shelton’s sister got the week off.