What are the most extended tennis matches recorded in Grand Slam tournaments?
Every year, tennis enthusiasts eagerly anticipate the Grand Slam circuit, which includes the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open. Extended matches can heighten the thrill in these prestigious tournament environments.
The longest match recorded in tennis history spanned 11 hours and 5 minutes, with the competitors playing over the course of three days. Let’s revisit that encounter and explore other lengthy matches.
2010 Wimbledon: John Isner def. Nicolas Mahut (11 hours, 5 minutes)
During Wimbledon in 2010, the first-round contest between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut extended for 11 hours and 5 minutes. The two athletes clashed over three days, with the match comprising five sets, including a fifth set that featured 138 points. (At that time, Wimbledon did not implement a tiebreak in the fifth set.)
On the initial day, the match was suspended at the conclusion of the fourth set due to insufficient light. On the second day, the scoreboard malfunctioned and ultimately shut down, as it was only designed to display scores up to 47-47 (though it was repaired by the third day). The match was paused on Day 2 once daylight faded.
On Day 3, Isner secured the decisive final set, 70-68. The match totaled 980 points, with 711 points occurring in the fifth set. Both players were fatigued, as the match lasted 4½ hours longer than the previous record for the longest match. Isner’s victory of 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (3), 70-68 allowed him to progress to face Thiemo de Bakker, but Isner would lose that match in just 74 minutes (the shortest men’s match in Wimbledon history at that time).
2018 Wimbledon: Kevin Anderson def. John Isner (6 hours, 36 minutes)
John Isner also participated in the second-longest Grand Slam match ever recorded. This time, Isner faced Kevin Anderson in the 2018 semifinal at Wimbledon. This match included 99 games and three tiebreakers over five sets. The fifth set lasted nearly three hours, marking the longest match on Centre Court in history.
Anderson triumphed over Isner 7-6 (6), 6-7 (5), 6-7 (9), 6-4, 26-24 after 6 hours and 36 minutes. In the final, Anderson ultimately fell to Novak Djokovic. Several months following this match, the All England club announced a modification to the rules: Tiebreaks would be implemented if the final set score reached 12-all. In 2022, the regulations were revised, with all Grand Slam tournaments adopting a 10-point tiebreak when a match reaches 6-6 in the final set.
2004 French Open: Fabrice Santoro def. Arnaud Clement (6 hours, 33 minutes)
This first-round match between Fabrice Santoro and Arnaud Clement lasted 6 hours and 33 minutes over two days. The match was paused at 5-all in the third set due to darkness. On Day 2, Santoro overcame Clement 6-4, 6-3, 6-7 (5), 3-6, 16-14.
The match featured the highest number of games (71) in the French Open since the introduction of tiebreaks in 1973. After the match, Santoro mentioned experiencing difficulty breathing at times. Nevertheless, he managed to win the following day, defeating Irakli Labadze 6-4, 3-6, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2. Santoro would eventually be eliminated in the third round by Olivier Mutis 6-0, 6-2, 6-3.
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Source: espn.com
