World’s Longest (Men’s & Women’s)
Tennis Matches Ever
Every year, we’re treated to marathon men’s and women’s tennis matches that go the distance, but even some of the gutsiest battles pale compared to the longest tennis match ever.
In 2010, American John Isner and Frenchman Nicholas Mahut blew all previous records out of the water during the first round of Wimbledon, when their match lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes. Even the second-longest match trails by a whopping 4 hours and 38 minutes.
In this resource, I showcase all of the marathon matches, including those at the sport’s most prominent events and with top players, and discuss the mechanics behind why tennis matches are so long.
The Longest Matches Ever
Although they’re not always the most entertaining to watch, the longest tennis matches hold a special place in the record books. In this section, we’re covering the longest men’s and women’s matches of all time.
Men’s
On June 24, 2010, John Isner defeated Nicolas Mahut 6-4, 3-6, 6-7, 7-6, 70-68 in an epic first-round Wimbledon match that took place over the course of 3 days lasting 11 hours and 5 minutes.
It all started on June 22, when the pair began playing on court No. 18 and split sets at two-all before officials suspended the match due to fading daylight with a match time of 2 hours and 55 minutes.
On June 23, play continued for an additional 7 hours and 5 minutes until John and Nicolas reached a tie score of 59-59 in the fifth set when officials once again halted the match due to lack of natural light.
Finally, on the third day, John Isner reached a break point with a score of 68-69 before claiming victory with a backhand passing shot down the line to win 70-68 after a total of 11 hours and 5 minutes of play.
It was such an event that Wimbledon held an impromptu award ceremony on the court after the match to commemorate the moment. Eventually, they even hung a plaque on the south wall of court No. 18 to celebrate the longest match in history.
If you’re wondering how the score in games reached so high in the fifth set, it’s because up until 2019, Wimbledon used an advantage scoring for the last set of all matches at the tournament, where a player must win by two games to take the match.
In 2019, tournament officials at Wimbledon changed the format where players would play a seven-point tiebreak at 12-12 in the final set. Then, in 2022, they again changed to a 10-point tiebreak at 6-6 in the last set, which makes it unlikely anyone will ever break this record.
Women’s
The longest format for a professional women’s tennis match is best of three sets, even at Grand Slam tournaments, so they’re typically shorter by design. Despite that, the longest women’s match ranks as the fifth longest of all time – men’s or women’s.
In September 1984, Vicki Nelson and Jean Hepner squared off at the Central Fidelity Banks International in Richmond, Virginia, for a match that lasted 6 hours and 31 minutes. Vicki prevailed as the winner, 6–4, 7–6 (13-11), which is remarkable in its own right.
For a two-set match to last that long is shocking, especially when all the other matches on my list of the longest for women went to three sets. However, this match also holds two additional records.
First, it’s the longest-ever women’s match completed in a single day. Second, it featured the longest point in a professional tennis match.
During their meeting, one single point featured an outrageous 29-minute rally, which lasted 643 shots before Vicki took advantage of a short ball for a winner. The tiebreak alone lasted 1 hour and 47 minutes. For context, Nelson ranked No. 93 and Hepner No. 172.
According to Nelson, the point featured a ton of lobbing from both players at the baseline. However, perhaps the real champ was John Packet of The Richmond Times-Dispatch at the time, who started counting strokes during rallies because they were so long giving us the stroke count.
Fun fact. If Hepner won the point, she would have forced a third set. Instead, Nelson closed it out after two more points.
Unfortunately, a network didn’t record this match, so I don’t have a video to share.
Top 10 Lengthiest Battles
This section reviews the longest matches ever for men’s and women’s professional tennis on the ATP and WTA tours.
Men’s
Wimbledon, the French Open, and Davis Cup have transitioned away from advantage sets, where a player must win the final set by two games, so it becomes harder and harder for players to crack the top ten list.
| Rank | Duration | Winner | Loser | Score | Event | Round |
| 1 | 11:05 (3 days) | John Isner | Nicolas Mahut | 6–4, 3–6, 6–7 (7–9), 7–6 (7–3), 70–68 | 2010 Wimbledon | First Round |
| 2 | 6:43 | Leonardo Mayer | João Souza | 7–6 (7–4), 7–6 (7–5), 5–7, 5–7, 15–13 | 2015 Davis Cup | First Round |
| 3 | 6:36 | Kevin Anderson | John Isner | 7–6 (8–6), 6–7 (5–7), 6–7 (9–11), 6–4, 26–24 | 2018 Wimbledon | Semi Final |
| 4 | 06:33 (2 days) | Fabrice Santoro | Arnaud Clément | 6–4, 6–3, 6–7 (5–7), 3–6, 16–14 | 2004 French Open | First Round |
| 5* | 6:22 | John McEnroe | Sweden | 9–7, 6–2, 15–17, 3–6, 8–6 | 1982 Davis Cup | Quarter Final |
| 6* | 6:21 | Boris Becker | United States | 4–6, 15–13, 8–10, 6–2, 6–2 | 1987 Davis Cup | Play Off |
| 7* | 6:15 | José Luis Clerc | United States | 6–3, 6–2, 4–6, 14–12 | 1980 Davis Cup | Final |
| 8 | 06:05 (2 days) | Lorenzo Giustino | Corentin Moutet | 0–6, 7–6 (9–7), 7–6 (7–3), 2–6, 18–16 | 2020 French Open | First Round |
| 9 | 6:04 | Horst Skoff | First Round | 6–7 (5–7), 7–6 (9–7), 1–6, 6–4, 9–7 | 1989 Davis Cup | Quarter Final |
| 10* | 6:01 | Harry Fritz | First Round | 16–14, 11–9, 9–11, 4–6, 11–9 | 1982 Davis Cup | Semi Final |
*The French Open started using a final set tiebreak in 2022.
Keep in mind that the longest women’s tennis match ever ranks fifth overall for the longest of all time.
Women’s
On the women’s side, there’s still plenty of opportunity for matches to make the top ten list as every match on the list is best of three sets, which continues to be the standard format for WTA competition.
| Rank | Duration | Winner | Loser | Score | Event | Round |
| 1 | 6:31 | Vicki Nelson | Jean Hepner | 6–4, 7–6 (13–11) | 1984 Central Fidelity Banks International | First Round |
| 2 | 5:03 | Maria Elena Camerin | Monica Niculescu | 6–4, 6–7 (3–7), 7–6 (7–5) | 2009 ITF Athens Open | Quarter Final |
| 3 | 4:56 | Amina Anshba | Laura Pigossi | 7–5, 3–6, 7–5 | 2021 Córdoba ITF Pro Circuit W25 | First Round |
| 4 | 4:54 | Sandra Samir | Tijana Sretenović | 6–7 (2–7), 7–6 (8–6), 6–1 | 2022 Cairo ITF Pro Circuit W15 | Semi Final |
| 5 | 4:49 | Hanna Chang | Ulrikke Eikeri | 7–6 (12–10), 4–6, 6–4 | 2021 Naples ITF Pro Circuit W25 | Second Round |
| 6 | 4:44 | Francesca Schiavone | Svetlana Kuznetsova | 6–4, 1–6, 16–14 | 2011 Australian Open | Fourth Round |
| 7 | 4:43 | Amira Badawi | Louise Brunskog | 7–5, 6–7 (5–7), 7–6 (7–3) | 2022 Cairo ITF Pro Circuit W15 | Quarter Final |
| 8 | 4:42 | Kurumi Nara | Monica Niculescu | 4–6, 7–6 (7–3), 10–8 | 2010 French Open | Round Three Qualies |
| 9 | 4:41 | Andreea Mitu | Maša Zec Peškirič | 7–6 (9–7), 6–7 (2–7), 7–6 (7–4) | 2012 Sofia ITF $25,000 | Second Round |
| 10 | 4:37 | Tiphanie Fiquet | Natalia Orlova | 5–7, 7–5, 7–6 (9–7) | 2019 Cancún ITF Pro Circuit W15 | Second Round |
In 2022, two matches made the top ten list for women, while the last to make the men’s list is from 2020. With that in mind, I’ll update this list to reflect the latest battles on the court as things change.
Grand Slam Records
The four Grand Slam tournaments, including the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open, hold a special place in the record books regarding the longest matches, particularly on the men’s side.
That’s because, outside the Davis Cup, it’s one of the few places where men compete to a best of five sets, naturally resulting in some of the lengthiest battles on record. Here I’ll review the longest men’s and women’s matches at the four majors.
Australian Open
Held at the end of January in Melbourne, Australia, the Australian Open is the year’s first major, often referred to as the happy slam because of how so many players love competing there.
Novak Djokovic and Francesca Schiavone hold the records as the winners of the longest matches at the Australian Open.
| Year | Duration | Winner | Loser | Score | Round |
| 2015 | 5:53 | Novak Djokovic | Rafael Nadal | 5-7, 6-4. 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 7-5 | Final |
| 2011 | 4:44 | Francesca Schiavone | Svetlana Kuznetsova | 6-4, 1-6, 16-14 | Fourth Round |
French Open
The French Open is the second Grand Slam tournament of the year, and the only one held on clay courts is also known as Roland Garros.
Fabrice Santoro and Virginie Buisson hold the records as the winners of the longest matches at the French Open.
| Year | Duration | Winner | Loser | Score | Round |
| 2004 | 06:33 (2 days) | Fabrice Santoro | Arnaud Clément | 6–4, 6–3, 6–7 (5–7), 3–6, 16–14 | First Round |
| 1995 | 4:07 | Virginie Buisson | Noëlle van Lottum | 6-7 (3-7), 7-5, 6-2 | Second Round |
Wimbledon
Wimbledon is the oldest and most prestigious Grand Slam event, which takes place annually in the summer from the end of June into July. It’s a grass court tournament and holds the record for the longest match ever.
John Isner and Chanda Rubin hold the records as the winners of the longest matches at Wimbledon.
| Year | Duration | Winner | Loser | Score | Round |
| 2010 | 11:05 (3 days) | John Isner | Nicolas Mahut | 6–4, 3–6, 6–7 (7–9), 7–6 (7–3), 70–68 | First Round |
| 1995 | 3:45 | Chanda Rubin | Patricia Hy-Boulais | 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (5-7), 17-15 | Second Round |
US Open
The US Open is the year’s final major held on hard courts in Flushing Meadows, NY. It’s also home to Arthur Ashe Stadium, the largest tennis venue in the world.
Stefan Edberg and Rebeka Masarova hold the records as the winners of the longest matches at the US Open.
| Year | Duration | Winner | Loser | Score | Round |
| 1992 | 5:26 | Stefan Edberg | Michale Chang | 6-7 (3-7), 7-5, 7-6 (7-3, 5-7, 6-4 | Semi Final |
| 2021 | 3:40 | Rebeka Masarova | Ana Bogdan | 6-7 (9-11), 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (11-9) | Round 1 |
Olympic & Davis Cup Records
As match formats have changed, it’s unlikely that another Olympic or Davis Cup match will make the list of history’s longest tennis matches. Still, the Davis Cup owns a handful of records.
Olympics
The 2016 Summer Olympics, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is the last of the Olympic Games to have featured a five-set competition in men’s tennis that players only contested in the Gold medal match.
On the women’s side, Olympic Matches used to feature advantage sets, where players needed to win by two games to win the set.
However, starting at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, all men’s and women’s singles matches were held as best of three tiebreak sets, making it less likely they’ll go the distance into the future.
Still, a handful of impressive matches from years past earn their spot on the longest at the Olympics.
| Year | Duration | Winner | Loser | Score | Round |
| 2012 | 4:25 | Roger Federer | Juan Martin del Potro | 3-6, 7-5 (7-5), 19-17 | Semi Final |
| 1988* | – | Rebeka Masarova | Ana Bogdan | 6-7 (9-11), 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (11-9) | Second Round |
| 2004* | – | Paola Suárez | Nathalie Dechy | 7-6 (7-1), 6-7 (5-7), 9-7 | First Round |
*These matches don’t have recorded times available, but they tie for the longest by the number of games at 42 a piece.
Davis Cup
The Davis Cup is a men’s competition where teams of countries face off against each other. Before 2017, all matches were best of five sets.
However, the Internation Tennis Federation changed this rule to encourage more of the ATP tour’s top players to participate, with many of them often skipping to recoup or prepare for tournaments.
Despite that, many current records come from the Davis Cup, where players leave it all on the court competing for their home countries.
In singles, Leonardo Mayer and João Souza hold the record for the longest-ever singles match during the first round of the 2015 World Group, pitting Argentina vs. Brazil. Leonardo won the rubber 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-5), 5-7, 5-7, 15-13 in 6 hours and 43 minutes.
In doubles, Swiss partners Stan Wawrinka and Marco Chiudinelli competed against Czech teammates Tomáš Berdych and Lukáš Rosol during the first round of the 2013 World Group. The Czech Republic won the rubber defeating the Swiss 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-7, 24-22 during a match that lasted 7 hours and 1 minute.
GOAT Records
Four players have emerged as candidates for the greatest of all time in tennis. Although known for quickly dismissing most opponents, each has participated in a few marathon matches.
Serena Williams
As much as anyone on this list, Serena was famous for blowing her opponents off the court quickly. Interestingly, the last match of her career (as it stands now) is her longest.
Playing Australian Ajla Tomljanović in the third round at the 2022 US Open, Serena Williams lost 5-7, 7-6 (7-4), 1-6 in a match that lasted three hours and five minutes.
Roger Federer
In 2019, Roger Federer played his longest match ever against Novak Djokovic in the finals of Wimbledon. Despite Federer having two match points, Djokovic came out on top, winning 7-6 (7-5), 1-6, 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 13-12 (7-3). As it turns out, this was Federer’s last Grand Slam before eventually retiring in 2022.
Rafael Nadal
In 2012 at the Australian Open, Rafael Nadal faced off against Novak Djokovic for one of the greatest finals in history. Unfortunately for Rafa, he lost the match 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 5-7 in 5 hours and 53 minutes.
Luckily for Rafa, he won his second-longest match when he played Daniil Medvedev at the 2022 Australian Open. Rafa defeated Daniil 2-6, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 in 5 hours and 24 minutes to claim his 21st Grand Slam title.
Novak Djokovic
Rafa’s longest encounter also happens to be Djokovic’s – the only difference, Djokovic won. After 5 hours and 53 minutes, Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal 7-5, 4-6, 2-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-5 for his fifth Grand Slam title.
Djokovic also played a lengthy battle with Roger Federer during the 2019 Wimbledon finals, where he won 7-6 (7-5), 1-6, 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 13-12 (7-3) to claim the title, the 16th Grand Slam of his career.
Why Matches Are Long
Compared to many other time-boxed sports, watching a tennis match can sometimes seem arduous because there isn’t a fixed or allotted time for the competition to complete. On the other hand, it’s an element of the sport that many enthusiasts appreciate because it often makes for a unique and compelling sporting event.
In many ways, the sports design increases the likelihood that tennis matches are longer, so let’s look at a few factors that influence the length of a tennis match.
Points
A point in tennis isn’t over until one player misses. As a result, rallies can last a long time. Take, for example, the longest point ever in a tennis match, which lasted 29 minutes for a total of 643 shots.
Although these types of points are rare, it underscores that the design of points and tennis and how players win them influence match length.
Ad Scoring
In tennis, players must win a game by two points when the score reaches deuce or 40-all. As a result, players can go back and forth trading points for a long time before one player wins by two. This concept is one of the big influencers on time played in matches.
Tiebreaks
Compared to advantage sets, where players compete to six games but have to win by two, tiebreaks are huge time savers. However, most tiebreakers, which are first to seven points, still require players to win by two points, resulting in some that go on for a long time.
Number of Sets
The vast majority of professional tennis matches are best of three sets, where the first player to win two is the winner. However, the Grand Slam tournaments, including the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open, still use best of five sets for men.
For years this has been a hotly contested subject because many believe tennis loses out on fans and viewership due to such long matches. Others wouldn’t have it any other way. Regardless of your stance, the number of sets significantly impacts the length of a tennis match.
Delays
Whether it’s rain or lack of daylight, as in the infamous match at Wimbledon, delays can impact how long it takes to complete a match. Although delays don’t affect the total match duration, they can make it seem like some matches take longer than they are.
Wrapping Up
Although the changing landscape of the tennis scoring system in professional tennis continues to evolve, airing on the side of shorter matches, the sport will undoubtedly deliver epic battles in the future.
In the meantime, I hope you found this resource helpful in digging up some of the longest tennis matches on record. What’s your favorite tennis match that went the distance? Let me know in the comments below – I’d love to hear from you.
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