Being mostly an individual sport, tennis requires a really high amount of stamina and grit. The lengths of tennis games can vary from being 3-5 sets depending on the tournament. Some matches can be finished in three straight sets depending on the players involved. However, there have been several very long and engaging matches played over the years that go the distance of all 5 sets. In this article, we take a look at the five longest tennis matches to have ever been played in the history of the sport.
| Rank | Team/Players | Event | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | John Isner vs Nicholas Mahut | 2010 Wimbledon | 11h 5m |
| 2. | Tomáš Berdych & Lukáš Rosol (The Czech Republic) vs Stan Wawrinka & Marco Chiudinelli (Switzerland) | 2013 Davis Cup | 7h 1m |
| 3. | Leonardo Mayer vs João Souza | 2015 Davis Cup | 6h 43m |
| 4. | Kevin Anderson vs John Isner | 2018 Wimbledon | 6h 36m |
| 5. | Fabrice Santoro vs Arnaud Clément | 2004 French Open | 6h 33m |
John Isner vs Nicholas Mahut | 2010 Wimbledon | 11h 5m
The longest tennis match ever to take place was in the first round of the 2010 Wimbledon between John Isner and Nicholas Mahut. The match, which started on the 22nd of June, ended two days later on the 24th of June and lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes.
The match ended earlier than scheduled on 22nd and 23rd due to lack of natural night. With 4 sets already played, the match resumed on the 24th and ended with John Isner winning by a score of 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7-9), 7-6 (7-3), 70-68.
Yes. 70-68 games were played in the final set, which itself lasted a gruesome 8 hours and 11 minutes, making this the longest tennis match ever played and something that we might never see beaten.
Tomáš Berdych & Lukáš Rosol (The Czech Republic) vs Stan Wawrinka & Marco Chiudinelli (Switzerland) | 2013 Davis Cup | 7h 1m
This is the only doubles match to feature in this list. The Czech Republic faced Switzerland in the Davis Cup, and the series was at 1-1 going into this game. Neither team left any stone unturned to win the most important match in the Davis Cup 2013 final.
Eventually, the result went in favour of Berdych and Rosol, who won the match with a score of 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-7, 24-22. The victory gave the Czech Republic a 2-1 lead in the series and was instrumental in them winning the Davis Cup in 2013.
If you thought doubles matches are easier, think again. This game goes down as one of the greatest to have ever been played.
Leonardo Mayer vs João Souza | 2015 Davis Cup | 6h 43m
The third longest tennis match ever also took place in the Davis cup. It was between Argentina and Brazil, one of the biggest rivalries that takes place in all kinds of sports. Argentina’s Leonardo Mayer beat Brazil’s João Souza in 2015 with a score of 7-6, 7-6, 5-7, 5-7, 15-13. This became the longest tennis match ever to be played on a clay court and also the longest singles match in the Davis Cup.
Argentina were 2-1 down in this series against Brazil and Mayer had 9 match points before finally winning the game. This game turned around their fortunes as they managed to beat Brazil and make it through to the semi-finals of the Davis Cup.
Kevin Anderson vs John Isner | 2018 Wimbledon | 6h 36m
In 2018, we saw John Isner feature in another one of the longest matches ever. The 2018 Wimbledon semi-final between Kevin Anderson and John Isner is the longest-ever Grand-Slam semi-final ever played. The match lasted a total of 6 hours and 36 minutes and resulted in Kevin Anderson winning the game with a score of 7-6 (8-6), 6-7 (5-7), 6-7 (9-11), 6-4, 26-24.
Interestingly, both these players had also played college tennis together. Unfortunately, Anderson lost to Djokovic in the Wimbledon final, but he goes down in history for his match against Isner. Although Isner was unlucky against Anderson, he still reigns as the winner of the longest tennis match ever played and is the only player to feature in this list twice.
Fabrice Santoro vs Arnaud Clément | 2004 French Open | 6h 33m
This tie took place in the 2004 French Open between two fellow Frenchmen, Fabrice Santoro and Arnaud Clément. Santoro came out on top of this match, which lasted 6 hours and 33 minutes. He defeated Clément with a score of 6-4, 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 3-6, 16-14.
This was a first-round match and was so long that it had to be played across two different days. The unseeded Santoro was victorious against Clément who was ranked No. 32. At the time, the duel became the longest tennis match ever played, a record that was held for six years. It is still, to this day, the longest match ever played in Roland Garros.
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