What Was The Longest Tennis Match in History?
Contents
On May 24, 2010, John Isner of the United States defeated Nicolas Mahut of France at Wimbledon, winning the fifth set by a score of 70–68. This match holds the record for the longest tennis match in history.
Introduction
On June 23, 2010, John Isner of the United States played Nicolas Mahut of France in the longest tennis match in history. The match took place over three days and lasted 11 hours and five minutes. It was played at Wimbledon, the most prestigious tennis tournament in the world. The match was so long that it ended in darkness on the third day.
The Isner-Mahut Match of 2010
In terms of time played, the longest tennis match in history took place at Wimbledon in 2010, when John Isner of the United States defeated Nicolas Mahut of France after 11 hours and 5 minutes spread over 3 days. The match, which was suspended due to darkness on the first day after 4 hours and 48 minutes, spanned a total of 183 games and 970 points. Although the contest was initially overshadowed by another dramatic marathon Wimbledon match that concluded the same day between Fabrice Santoro of France and Arnaud Clément of Senegal (with Santoro winning 16-14 in the fifth set), the Isner-Mahut match has since come to be widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis matches ever played.
The Nadal-Isner Match of 2011
In 2011, two of the world’s top tennis players, Rafael Nadal and John Isner, met in the first round of the Wimbledon tournament. The match was epic, lasting an incredible 5 hours and 41 minutes. It was finally won by Nadal, who prevailed 6–4, 3–6, 6–4, 3–6, 13–11.
The Djokovic-Del Potro Match of 2018
On September 8, 2018, at the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York City, Novak Djokovic of Serbia defeated Juan Martín del Potro of Argentina in a record-breaking tennis match that lasted five hours and 53 minutes. The match was the longest ever played at the U.S. Open—surpassing the previous record by more than two hours—and it was also the third-longest match in tennis history overall.
The grueling contest took place over two days, as it was suspended due to darkness on Friday evening with Djokovic leading by two sets to one (the men’s singles final is normally played as a best-of-five affair). When play resumed on Saturday afternoon, Djokovic ultimately prevailed by a score of 7–6 (7–5), 1–6, 7–6 (7–4), 6–7 (6–8), 7–5.
The victory earned Djokovic his third U.S. Open title and 14th Grand Slam championship overall; he would go on to win the Australian Open the following January, thereby becoming just the third man in tennis history to hold all four major titles simultaneously (a feat known as a “Golden Slam”).
Conclusion
In conclusion, the longest tennis match in history was between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut. It took place over the course of three days and lasted for a total of 11 hours and 5 minutes. The match was finally won by John Isner, who prevailed in the fifth set with a score of 6-4.
