Longest tennis match records

This article details longest tennis match records by duration or number of games. The 1973 introduction of the tiebreak reduced the opportunity for such records to be broken. However, among the Grand Slams, only the US Open uses the tiebreak in the final set; the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and Olympic tennis instead use the advantage set rules in the final set – in such a set there can be an indefinite number of games until there is a winner. This resulted, for example, in the record-obliterating Isner vs. Mahut match at Wimbledon 2010.

John Isner (left) defeated Nicolas Mahut (right) 6–4, 3–6, 6–7, (7–9), 7–6(7–3), 70–68 in a record 11 hours and 5 minutes
A plaque commemorating the Isner–Mahut match on Court 18 at Wimbledon.

Overall

Men

The Isner–Mahut match at the 2010 Wimbledon Championships holds the record for the longest tennis match both in time and games played. Only two official ATP matches have lasted longer than 7 hours. Eleven matches have lasted longer than 6 hours, and 36 matches have lasted longer than 5 hours.[1]

Women

The longest women's match (by time) took place at a tournament in Richmond, Virginia, in 1984, when Vicki Nelson took 6 hours, 31 minutes to defeat Jean Hepner 6–4, 7–6(13–11). The match featured a 29-minute, 643-shot rally, the longest in professional tennis history.[3]

Doubles

Australian Open

Men

Longest match by time played
2012 final, 5 hours and 53 minutes
Serbia Novak Djokovic 5 6 6 65 7
Spain Rafael Nadal 7 4 2 77 5
Also the longest grand slam singles title final in the Open Era.
Longest singles final match by number of games, before the tiebreaker introduction[7]
1927, 71 games
Australia Gerald Patterson 3 6 3 18 6
Australia John Hawkes 6 4 6 16 3
This was the longest Grand Slam final in games played until the Federer v Roddick final at Wimbledon in 2009.[8]
Longest match by number of games, using tiebreaker scoring[9]
2003 quarterfinals, 83 games
United States Andy Roddick 4 77 4 6 21
Morocco Younes El Aynaoui 6 65 6 4 19

Women

Francesca Schiavone won the longest ever match at a women's Grand Slam event in 4 hours 44 minutes.
Longest match by time played
2011 fourth round, 4 hours and 44 minutes
Italy Francesca Schiavone 6 1 16
Russia Svetlana Kuznetsova 4 6 14
Also the longest women's match in a Grand Slam in the Open Era,[10] and the second-longest women's match in the Open Era.[11]
Longest match by number of games, using tiebreaker scoring
1996 quarterfinals, 48 games
United States Chanda Rubin 6 2 16
Spain Arantxa Sánchez Vicario 4 6 14
Longest singles final match by number of games, before the tiebreaker introduction[12]
1956, 33 games
Australia Mary Carter Reitano 3 6 9
Australia Thelma Coyne Long 6 2 7

French Open

Arnaud Clément (pictured) lost the longest ever match at the French Open to Fabrice Santoro in 6 hours 33 minutes. He expressed his disappointment at losing the match which until 2010 held the record for the longest ever match stating: "Frankly, I don't give a damn...What world record? Do I get a medal? If I'm not getting anything, frankly, I'm not interested. It doesn't count."[13]

Men

Longest match by time played[14]
2004 first round, 6 hours, 33 minutes
France Fabrice Santoro 6 6 65 3 16
France Arnaud Clement 4 3 77 6 14
Longest match by number of games, before the tiebreaker introduction[14]
1951 semifinal, 76 games
South Africa Eric Sturgess 10 7 8 5 9
Australia Ken McGregor 8 9 6 7 7
Longest match by number of games, using tiebreaker scoring
2012 second round, 76 games
France Paul-Henri Mathieu 62 6 6 3 18
United States John Isner 77 4 4 6 16
Longest singles final match by time played[14]
1982, 4 hours and 42 minutes
Sweden Mats Wilander 1 78 6 6
Argentina Guillermo Vilas 6 66 0 4
Longest singles final by games, before introduction of the tiebreaker[14]
1927, 61 games
France René Lacoste 6 4 5 6 11
United States Bill Tilden 4 6 7 3 9

Men's doubles

Longest men's doubles final match by number of games, before the tiebreaker introduction[15]
1934, 63 games
France Jean Borotra
France Jacques Brugnon
11 6 2 4 9
Australia Jack Crawford
United States Vivian McGrath
9 3 6 6 7
1971, 63 games
United States Arthur Ashe
United States Marty Riessen
6 4 6 6 11
United States Tom Gorman
United States Stan Smith
8 6 3 4 9

Women

Longest match by time played[16]
1995 French Open, 4 hours 7 minutes
France Virginie Buisson 6 7 6
France Noëlle van Lottum 73 5 2
Longest match by number of games, before the tiebreaker introduction
1972 third-round match, 56 games
Australia Kerry Melville Reid 9 4 16
United States Pam Teeguarden 7 6 14
Longest match by number of games, using tiebreaker scoring
1991 second round, 46 games
United States Linda Harvey-Wild 79 67 11
Peru Laura Gildemeister 67 79 9
Longest singles final match by number of games
1996 French Open, 40 games
Germany Steffi Graf 6 6 10
Spain Arantxa Sánchez Vicario 3 7 8
Longest doubles final match by number of games, before the tiebreaker introduction[17]
1955, 50 games
United States Beverly Baker Fleitz
United States Darlene Hard
7 6 13
United Kingdom Shirley Brasher Bloomer
United Kingdom Patricia Ward Hales
5 8 11
This is also the longest women's doubles match in terms of games that has occurred at The French Open.[17]

Mixed doubles

Longest match by number of games, before the tiebreaker introduction[18]
1956, 38 games
Italy Nicola Pietrangeli
United Kingdom Shirley Brasher Bloomer
9 6 6
Australia Robert Howe
Australia Lorraine Coghlan Robinson
7 8 2

Wimbledon

Men

The 2008 Wimbledon final between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal lasted 4 hours 48 minutes and is the third longest singles final by time played.
Longest match by time and number of games
2010 first round, 183 games, 11 hours and 5 minutes.[19]
This is the longest professional tennis
match ever played at any level.[19]
United States John Isner 6 3 67 77 70
France Nicolas Mahut 4 6 79 63 68
Longest singles final match by time played
2008, 4 hours and 48 minutes[20]
Spain Rafael Nadal 6 6 65 68 9
Switzerland Roger Federer 4 4 77 710 7
Longest singles final match by number of games
2009, 77 games[21] This match also had the longest final set in a Grand Slam final by games[21]
Switzerland Roger Federer 5 78 77 3 16
United States Andy Roddick 7 66 65 6 14

Men's Doubles

Longest match by number of games, before the tiebreaker introduction
1966 first round, 98 games[22]
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Nikola Pilić
United States Gene Scott
19 12 6 4 9
United States Cliff Richey
Denmark Torben Ulrich
21 10 4 6 7
Longest match by number of games, using tiebreaker scoring
2007 third round 102 games[22]
Brazil Marcelo Melo
Brazil André Sá
5 77 4 79 28
Australia Paul Hanley
Zimbabwe Kevin Ullyett
7 64 6 67 26
Longest doubles final match by number of games, before the tiebreaker introduction
1968, 70 games
Australia John Newcombe
Australia Tony Roche
3 8 5 14 6
Australia Ken Rosewall
Australia Fred Stolle
6 6 7 12 3
Longest doubles final match by time played
1992, 5 hours and 1 minute
United States John McEnroe
Germany Michael Stich
5 77 3 77 19
United States Jim Grabb
United States Richey Reneberg
7 65 6 65 17
Also the longest doubles final by number of games (83).

Women

Longest match by number of games, before the tiebreaker introduction
1948 second round, 54 games
France Alice Weiwers 8 14 6
United States Rita Anderson 10 12 4
Longest match by number of games, using tiebreaker scoring
1995 second round, 58 games
United States Chanda Rubin 77 65 17
Canada Patricia Hy-Boulais 64 77 15
Longest match by time played[23]
1995 second round, 3 hours 45 mins
United States Chanda Rubin 77 65 17
Canada Patricia Hy-Boulais 64 77 15
NB: The Bud Collins History of Tennis incorrectly lists this match as having occurred in 1996
Longest singles final match by time played[24]
2005, 2 hours and 45 minutes
United States Venus Williams 4 77 9
United States Lindsay Davenport 6 64 7
Longest singles final match by number of games, before the tiebreaker introduction[25]
1970, 46 games
Australia Margaret Court 14 11
United States Billie Jean King 12 9

Women's Doubles

Longest match by number of games, before the tiebreaker introduction
1933 first round, 48 games
United Kingdom Pat Brazier
United Kingdom Christabel Wheatcroft
11 5 9
United Kingdom Mildred Nonweiler
United Kingdom Betty Soames
9 7 7
Longest match by number of games, before the tiebreaker introduction
1933, 38 games
France Simonne Mathieu
United States Elizabeth Ryan
6 9 6
United Kingdom Freda James
United Kingdom Billie Yorke
2 11 4
1967, 38 games
United States Billie Jean King
United States Rosemary Casals
9 6 6
Brazil Maria Bueno
United States Nancy Richey Gunter
11 4 2

Mixed doubles

Longest match by number of games, before the tiebreaker introduction
1967 quarterfinals, 56 games
Australia Ken Fletcher
Australia Margaret Court
6 7 16
Soviet Union Alex Metreveli
Soviet Union Anna Dmitrieva
8 5 14
Longest match by number of games, before the tiebreaker introduction
1949, 48 games
South Africa Eric Sturgess
South Africa Sheila Piercey Summers
9 9 7
Australia John Bromwich
United States Louise Brough Clapp
7 11 5

US Open

Stefan Edberg's (pictured) 1992 defeat of Michael Chang 6–7(3–7), 7–5, 7–6(7–3), 5–7, 6–4 in 5 hours 26 minutes remains the longest match at the US Open in terms of match duration.

Men

Longest match by time played[26]
1992, 5 hours and 26 minutes
Sweden Stefan Edberg 63 7 77 5 6
United States Michael Chang 77 5 63 7 4

On 1 September 2016, Paolo Lorenzi and Gilles Simon played for 4 hours and 58 minutes. [27] On August 2016, Fabio Fognini and Teimuraz Gabashvili played for 4 hours and 52 minutes. [28]

Longest match by number of games, using tiebreaker scoring
1979 second round, 63 games
United Kingdom John Lloyd 5 6 7 7 7
Australia Paul McNamee 7 7 5 6 6
Longest match by number of games, before the tiebreaker introduction
1966 third round, 105 games
Mexico Marcello Lara
Mexico Joaquin Loyo-Mayo
10 24 11 3 6
Spain Manuel Santana
Mexico Luis-Augusto García
12 22 9 6 2
1967 quarterfinals, 105 games
South Africa Cliff Drysdale
South Africa Ray Moore
29 8 3 8 6
Australia Roy Emerson
Brazil Ron Barnes
31 6 6 6 2
Longest match by number of games, before the tiebreaker introduction
1969, 100 games
United States Franklin Robbins 22 9 6 8 6
United States Donald Dell 20 7 8 10 4
Longest singles final match by time played[29]
1988, 4 hours and 54 minutes
Sweden Mats Wilander 6 4 6 5 6
Czechoslovakia Ivan Lendl 4 6 3 7 4
2012, 4 hours and 54 minutes
United Kingdom Andy Murray (details) 712 7 2 3 6
Serbia Novak Djokovic 610 5 6 6 2
Longest singles final match by number of games, before the tiebreaker introduction
1949, 67 games
United States Pancho Gonzales 16 2 6 6 6
United States Ted Schroeder 18 6 1 2 4
Longest doubles final match by number of games, before the tiebreaker introduction
1946, 74 games
United States Gardnar Mulloy
United States William Talbert
3 6 2 6 20
United States Frank Guernsey
United States Don McNeill
6 4 6 3 18

Women

Longest match by number of games, before the tiebreaker introduction
1898 challenge round, 51 games
best-of-five-sets match
United States Juliette Atkinson 6 5 6 2 7
United States Marion Jones 3 7 4 6 5
Longest doubles final match by number of games, before the tiebreaker introduction
1920, 43 games
United States Eleanor Goss
United States Marion Zinderstein
13 4 6
United States Helen Baker
United States Eleanor "Teach" Tennant
11 6 3
Longest match by time played
2nd round, 2015. 3 hours 23 minutes
United Kingdom Johanna Konta 77 64 6
Spain Garbiñe Muguruza 64 77 2

Mixed doubles

Longest mixed doubles final match by number of games, before the tiebreaker introduction
1959, 48 games
Australia Neale Fraser
United States Margaret Osborne duPont
7 13 6
Australia Bob Mark
United States Janet Hopps Adkisson
5 15 2

Summer Olympics

Overall

Men

Singles, best-of-three-sets system
Longest match by time played[31][32]
2012 semifinals, 4 h and 26 min (58 games)
Switzerland Roger Federer 3 77 19
Argentina Juan Martín del Potro 6 65 17
Note: Match played on 3 August 2012. This is also the longest best-of-three-sets men's singles match ever played in the open era (with or without a tiebreaker in the final set).
Longest match by number of games, using tiebreaker scoring[30][33][34]
2012 second round, 66 games (3 h 57 min)
France Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6 3 25
Canada Milos Raonic 3 6 23
Note: Match played on 31 July 2012. Beating the previous record of 61 games set during the five set doubles final in 1988. The third set also set a record for most games played in a set at an Olympics, beating the previous record set at the 2004 Summer Olympics by Fernando González and Taylor Dent, 30 games, by 18 games.
Singles, best-of-five-sets system
Longest match by number of games, before the tiebreaker introduction[30]
1920 semifinals, 76 games (6 hrs?) (See Note)
United Kingdom Gordon Lowe 14 8 5 6 6
Greece Augustos Zerlendis 12 10 7 4 4
Note: World Tennis Magazine state that some media outlets have reported [this match] lasting approximately six hours.[35] This match therefore could have been the longest Olympic tennis match in terms of match duration as well as being the longest Olympic tennis match in terms of number of games.
Longest match by number of games, after the introduction of the tiebreaker[30]
1992 first round, 5 h and 53 min (56 games)
Germany Boris Becker 3 77 5 77 6
Norway Christian Ruud 6 62 7 62 3
Note: Tsonga vs. Raonic above (best-of-three-sets system) was longer by number of games.
Doubles
Longest match by time played[30]
2008 semifinals, 4 h and 44 min (59 games)
Sweden Simon Aspelin
Sweden Thomas Johansson
78 4 19
France Arnaud Clément
France Michaël Llodra
66 6 17
Longest match by number of games, using tiebreaker scoring[36]
2012 second round, 63 games
Brazil Marcelo Melo
Brazil Bruno Soares
1 6 24
Czech Republic Tomáš Berdych
Czech Republic Radek Štěpánek
6 4 22
Note: This match was played on 1 August 2012, only a day after Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs. Milos Raonic set the record of 66 games in a best-of-three-sets match.

Women

Singles
Longest match by number of games, using tiebreaker scoring
1988 second round, 42 games
Soviet Union Larisa Savchenko 63 77 9
United Kingdom Sara Gomer 77 63 7
Longest match by number of games, using tiebreaker scoring
2004 first round, 42 games
Argentina Paola Suárez 77 65 9
France Nathalie Dechy 61 77 7
Doubles
Longest match by number of games, using tiebreaker scoring[30]
1988 first round, 63 games
Canada Carling Bassett-Seguso
Canada Jill Hetherington
710 5 20
Argentina Mercedes Paz
Argentina Gabriela Sabatini
68 7 18

Davis Cup and Fed Cup

Davis Cup

Longest rubber by duration
2013 World Group first round, Switzerland vs. Czech Republic. 7 hours and 2 minutes[37]
Switzerland Stanislas Wawrinka
Switzerland Marco Chiudinelli
4 7 4 7 22
Czech Republic Tomáš Berdych
Czech Republic Lukáš Rosol
6 5 6 6 24
Longest rubber by number of games (Doubles)
Doubles of the 1973 American Zone Final between Chile and the USA, 122 games[37]
United States Stan Smith
United States Erik Van Dillen
7 37 8 6 6
Chile Patricio Cornejo
Chile Jaime Fillol
9 39 6 1 3
the 39–37 second set is the longest set in Davis Cup history
Longest rubber by number of games (singles)
1982 American Zone Semifinal between Canada and Venezuela, 100 games[37]
Canada Harry Fritz 16 11 9 4 11
Venezuela Jorge Andrew 14 9 11 6 9

Tour Finals

ATP Tour Finals

Longest match by time played[38]
2016 semi final, 3 hours 38 minutes.
United Kingdom Andy Murray 5 7 7
Canada Milos Raonic 7 6 6
Match was the longest since 1991 when times were first recorded

See also

References

  1. "The History of Men's Tennis". The-history-of-mens-tennis.com. 31 January 2011. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
  2. "Irascible Gonzalez's resolve to win came at a price". ESPN.com.
  3. Seminara, Dave (23 September 2009). "Vicki Nelson and Jean Hepner Recall Longest Point in Pro Tennis". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 January 2010.
  4. "Top Five Wimbledon "Thrillers"". ESPN. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
  5. Gallagher, Brendan (24 June 2010). "Wimbledon's longest match: Isner v Mahut continues as Queen visits SW19". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  6. "Tennis | Day nine as it happened". BBC Sport. 4 July 2007. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  7. "A Page About Australian Open Men's Trivia". All-about-tennis.com. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  8. "Record fifth for Federer-Roddick". Sportsnet.ca. 5 July 2009. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  9. guardian.co.uk staff (22 January 2003). "Roddick survives 83-game epic". The Guardian. London.
  10. "Schiavone edges Kuznetsova in record marathon". Times LIVE. 23 January 2011. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
  11. "WTA | News | Latest News | Four Hours, 19 Minutes". Wtatour.com. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
  12. "A Page About the Australian Open Ladies' Trivia". All-about-tennis.com. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
  13. "Santoro wins the longest match – Tennis – ESPN". Sports.espn.go.com. 25 May 2004. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  14. 1 2 3 4 "Roland Garros Record Breakers". rolandgarros.com. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
  15. "The Longest Matches in French Open History". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  16. "Francesca Schiavone Claims Marathon". espn.com. 23 January 2011. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
  17. 1 2 "The Longest Matches in French Open History". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  18. "The Longest Matches in French Open History". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  19. 1 2 Bishop, Greg (24 June 2010). "Isner Wins Marathon Match at Wimbledon". The New York Times.
  20. Newbery, Piers (6 July 2008). "Nadal wins epic Wimbledon final". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  21. 1 2 "Wimbledon men's final: Roger Federer outlasts Andy Roddick to win record 15th Grand Slam in epic match". ESPN. 6 July 2009. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  22. 1 2 "Doubles match concludes with longest fifth set ever – Tennis – ESPN". Sports.espn.go.com. 4 July 2007. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  23. "Schiavone-Kuznetsova Epic is Second-Longest Ever Women's Match". World Tennis Magazine. 23 January 2011. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
  24. "A Page About Wimbledon Ladies Trivia". All-about-tennis.com. 27 June 1960. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
  25. However, in 1902, Muriel Robb defeated Charlotte Cooper Sterry 7–5, 6–1 after abandomnent of an overnight score of 4–6, 13–11, thus needing a total of 53 games to win the title.
  26. US Open – Marathon Men – Tennis
  27. http://www.flashscore.com/match/K2tQtRah/#match-summary
  28. http://www.diretta.it/partita/zRd7VEtH/#informazioni-partita
  29. "Djokovic tops Nadal in marathon Australian final | News - News". US Open. 29 January 2012. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
  30. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Walker, Randy. "Olympic Marathon! Jo-Wilfried Tsonga Outlasts Milos Raonic 25–23 In Third Set". World Tennis Magazine. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  31. "Federer edges epic encounter". London2012.com. 3 August 2012. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  32. "Results 3 August 2012". London2012.com. 3 August 2012. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  33. "Tsonga joy after record-length match". London2012.com. 31 July 2012. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  34. "Results 31 July 2012". London2012.com. 31 July 2012. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  35. "Olympic Marathon! Jo-Wilfried Tsonga outlasts Milos Raonic 25-23 In Third Set - World Tennis Magazine". World Tennis Magazine.
  36. "Results of 1 Aug 2012". London2012.com. 1 August 2012. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  37. 1 2 3 "Davis Cup Records". daviscup.com. 9 March 2010. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  38. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2016/nov/19/andy-murray-v-milos-raonic-atp-world-tour-finals-live

External links

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