Consider the following list of the five longest tennis matches ever played.
How Many Hours was the Longest Professional Tennis Match
Any self-respecting tennis fan will tell you that five-set matches are nothing short of spectacular. If you’ve ever seen a match go the full five sets, you know how thrilling and nerve-wracking that can be.
There is a noticeable increase in players’ anxiety, participation from the fans, and length and intensity of rallies.
It’s almost like watching a show, and there are times when you want the match to last forever.
But if you’re not a tennis fan, even a short match can seem to drag on forever.
Watching a little yellow ball bounce from one side to the other can grow boring if you’re not interested. This makes sense to me.
Still, you could find yourself appreciating tennis professionals who can play for long periods of time despite the physical toll it takes.
A tennis match might go on indefinitely, but in practise, it typically takes between one and two hours to complete a match of three sets, and somewhat longer for five sets.
Exhaustion and carelessness on the part of the players eventually decides the winner. Still, there have been instances of players engaging in marathon contests where neither side was willing to concede.
5. Time: 6:22; John McEnroe versus. Mats Wilander, 1982 Davis Cup
The third time is the charm. This is John McEnroe’s longest-ever match, and he wins it. The United States overcame Sweden in the 1982 Davis Cup final thanks to John McEnroe’s victory over Mats Wilander in 6 hours and 22 minutes (9-7, 6-2, 15-17, 3-6, 8-6).
One can only image how different the game would have been if tie-breaks had been used in this match.
Since the quarterfinal encounter left the overall tie at 2 games each, it was one of the most tense of all time.
McEnroe and Wilander fought it out to the end like two gladiators, and McEnroe ultimately prevailed. The U.S. gained steam and continued on to the finals, where they defeated France 4-1 to claim victory.
4. 2004 French Open, Fabrice Santoro vs. Arnaud Clement, 6:33 a.m.
During the 2004 French Open, this match ended as a draw. It was an interesting encounter because both players, Fabrice Santoro and Arnaud Clement, were French.
Santoro, dubbed “the magician,” defeated Clement in five sets, 6-4, 6-3, 6-7(5-7), 3-6, 16-14.
This contest took place in the first round of the event, and Santoro went on to win another match in five sets before being eliminated in the third.
The fight set a new record for the longest tennis match ever played, and it stood for six years. To this day, it is still the longest match in Roland Garros history.
3. Time: 6:36 a.m., July 3, 2018; Kevin Anderson vs. John Isner, Wimbledon 2018
The most recent semifinal encounter to be featured on the list was the one between Kevin Anderson and John Isner at the 2018 Wimbledon tournament. With a final score of 7-6(8-6),6-7(5-7),6-7(9-11),6-4,26-24, South African Anderson emerged victorious after a marathon 6 hours and 36 minutes. This semi-final match is the longest in Grand Slam history.
It’s interesting to note that both athletes began their careers by competing in collegiate tennis. In college, Anderson represented Illinois, while Isner represented Georgia. Anderson reached the championship match but ultimately fell to Novak Djokovic.
While Isner did not prevail this time, he holds the record for the longest tennis match ever played.
2. The 2015 Davis Cup final between Leonardo Mayer and Joao Souza lasted over 6 Hours and 43 Minutes.
The Davis Cup battle between Brazil and Argentina, longtime adversaries on the tennis court, was the second longest match ever played.
2015 saw Leonardo Mayer of Argentina triumph over Joao Souza of Brazil in a marathon 6-hour, 43-minute match that went the full distance: 7-6(7-4), 7-6(7-5), 5-7, 5-7, 15-13. This is the longest match in the history of clay-court competition. It also sets a record for the longest Davis Cup singles match ever played.
If Brazil had beaten Argentina 2 sets to 1, the match would have counted for the first round of the Davis Cup.
With 9 match points, Mayer eventually prevailed. Because of Federico Dellionis’s victory over Thomaz Bellucci, Argentina was declared the victor. Argentina reached the semi-finals before falling to Belgium 3–2.
1. Wimbledon, 2010; 11:05 a.m.; John Isner vs. Nicholas Mahut
John Isner and Nicholas Mahut’s epic encounter from Wimbledon in 2010 currently holds the record for the longest tennis match in history. The main draw qualifying match got underway on June 22, 2010, on Court 18 at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.
After the fourth set, the match was called off because of darkness. The next day, they picked up where they left off, but once again, lack of daylight forced them to halt play. On June 24, the match was resumed and completed with a final score of 6-4,3-6,6-7(7-9),7-6(7-3),70-68, in favour of Isner.
Ultimately, the score was 70 games to 68 in favour of yes in the deciding set. The fifth set alone lasted 8 hours and 11 minutes, making it longer than the second-longest match on this list.
The match lasted a staggering 11 hours, 5 minutes and featured 183 games, making it the longest tennis match ever played. It was a tie for Karlovic’s record to have over 100 aces, which was broken by both players.