Isner and Mahut's match had to be suspended twice due to bad light and both players only slept for around four hours before resuming their battle on the third day.
The marathon match ended with Isner defeating Mahut 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(7), 7-6(3), 70-68, in an epic 8 hour battle for the fifth set, which in itself was longer than the previous longest match in Wimbledon.
Tied at 59-59 at the end of play on the second day, Isner and Mahut had already very convincingly re-written the record books.
Longest match in Wimbledon history: Mahut-Isner currently 10 hours
Previous record: 6 hours and 9 minutes – 2006 men's doubles quarter-finals.
Longest grand-slam match: Mahut-Isner 10 hours.
Previous record: 6 hours 33 minutes – Fabrice Santoro and Arnaud Clement, French Open, first round, 2004.
The longest set (games played) at Wimbledon: 163 games
Previous record: longest was 62 games, set in a men's doubles match in 1968.
Highest number of games ever played in a singles match: currently 163
Previous record: 112 Pancho Gonzales and Charlie Pasarell 22-24, 1-6, 16-14, 6-3,11-9 – Wimbledon, 1969.
Highest number of games ever played in a match: currently 163
Previous record: 122 Stan Smith and Erik van Dillen (USA) v Patricio Cornejo and Jaime Fillol (Chile) – Davis Cup, 1973.
Record number of aces served: at that point Isner had hit 98, Mahut 95.
Previous record: 78 Ivo Karlovic, 2009 Davis Cup v Radek Stepanek
Longest fifth set and longest set at a grand slam: Mahut-Isner's 59-59 (7 hours and 6 minutes)
Previous records: Andy Roddick beat Younes El Aynaoui 4-6, 7-6, 4-6, 6-4, 21-19 – Australian Open, 2003
Longest set: 25-23 John Newcombe beat Marty Reissen 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 25-23 – US Open, 1969
By the end of the match the aces has moved into the hundreds and Isner took the record for the highest number of aces in a single match having served 112 aces all up.
"These guys are going to be tired the next day, next week, next month," Roger Federer said.
In general, humans are fascinated by the concept of world records and their breakers. It is always exciting to see individuals surpass not only their own, but also everyone else's expectations.
It is the notion that some people are more than just plain old human; that normal limitations don't apply to them, the idea of the superhuman that excites the imagination of many.
A Well-Being Australia theologian points out that although we are intrigued by the idea of the super-human, we are still very sceptical when we see or experience things that don't fit into our safe little box labelled 'normal'. Even those who were in the presence of the son of God failed to recognise just who he was.
In John's gospel we are told exactly how unwilling the Jews were to believe in Jesus,
"Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him." John 12:37