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 v. Mahut match at Wimbledon 2010.
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.
Seven matches have lasted longer than 6 hours
and 37 matches have lasted longer than 5 hours.
11 h 05 Wimbledon 2010, 1st round: John Isner
def.
Nicolas Mahut, 6–4, 3–6, 6–7(7–9),
7–6(7–3), 70–68.
7 h 02 Davis Cup 2013, 1st round: Tomáš
Berdych, Lukáš Rosol def.
Stanislas Wawrinka, Marco Chiudinelli, 6–4,
5–7, 6–4, 6–7(3–7), 24–22.
6 h 33 French Open 2004, 1st round: Fabrice
Santoro def.
Arnaud Clément, 6–4, 6–3, 6–7(5–7),
3–6, 16–14.
6 h 22 Davis Cup 1982, quarterfinal: John
McEnroe def.
Mats Wilander, 9–7, 6–2, 15–17, 3–6,
8–6.
6 h 21 Davis Cup 1987 barrage: Boris Becker
def.
John McEnroe, 4–6, 15–13, 8–10, 6–2,
6–2.
6 h 20 Davis Cup 2002 semifinal: Lucas Arnold
Ker, David Nalbandian def.
Yevgeni Kafelnikov, Marat Safin, 6–4, 6–4,
5–7, 3–6, 19–17.
6 h 04 Davis Cup 1989, quarter final: Horst
Skoff def.
Mats Wilander, 6–7(5–7), 7–6(9–7),
1–6, 6–4, 9–7.
5 h 59 Davis Cup 2009, semifinal: Radek Štěpánek
def.
Ivo Karlović, 6–7(5–7), 7–6(7–5),
7–6(8–6), 6–7(2–7), 16–14.
5 h 53 Australian Open 2012, final: Novak
Djoković def.
Rafael Nadal, 5–7, 6–4, 6–2, 6–7(5–7),
7–5.
5 h 46 Davis Cup 2001, quarterfinal: Arnaud
Clément def.
Marc Rosset, 6–3, 3–6, 7–6(7–5), 6–7(6–8),
15–13.
5 h 45 Davis Cup 2005: Mehdi Tahiri def.
Gilles Müller, 6–7(9–11), 6–4, 7–6(7–1),
6–7(2–7), 6–4.
5 h 41 French Open 2012, 2nd round: Paul-Henri
Mathieu def.
John Isner 6–7(2–7), 6–4, 6–4, 3–6,
18–16.
5 h 31 French Open 1998, 3rd round: Àlex
Corretja def.
Hernán Gumy 6–1, 5–7, 6–7(4–7), 7–5,
9–7.
5 h 31 Wimbledon 2012: Marin Čilić def.
Sam Querrey 7–6(8–6), 6–4, 6–7(2–7),
6–7(3–7), 17–15.
5 h 28 Wimbledon 1989, 2nd round: Greg Holmes
def.
Todd Witsken 5–7, 6–4, 7–6(7–5), 4–6,
14–12.
5 h 26 US Open 1992, semifinal: Stefan Edberg
def.
Michael Chang 6–7(3–7), 7–5, 7–6(7–3),
5–7, 6–4.
5 h 25 Davis Cup 2011: Tatsuma Ito def.
Cecil Mamiit 6–4, 6–7(5–7), 6–3, 6–7(3–7),
9–7.
5 h 23 Davis Cup 2008: Pablo Cuevas def.
Santiago Giraldo 6–4, 3–6, 5–7, 7–6(7–4),
6–4.
5 h 20 Davis Cup 2008: Nicolás Lapentti def.
Ramón Delgado 3–6, 4–6, 7–6(7–2),
7–6(7–4), 6–4.
5 h 14 Internazionali BNL d'Italia 2005, final:
Rafael Nadal def.
Guillermo Coria 6–4, 3–6, 6–3, 4–6,
7–6(8–6).
5 h 14 Australian Open 2009, semifinal: Rafael
Nadal def. Fernando Verdasco 6–7(4–7),
6–4, 7–6(7–2), 6–7(1–7), 6–4.
5 h 14 Davis Cup 2009: Nicolás Massú def.
Stefan Koubek 6–4, 4–6, 6–4 7–6(8–6).
5 h 12 Wimbledon 2008, quarterfinal: Rainer
Schüttler def.
Arnaud Clément 6–3, 5–7, 7–6(8–6),
6–7(7–9), 8–6.
5 h 12 Wimbledon 1969, third round: Pancho
Gonzales def.
Charlie Pasarell 22-24, 1–6, 16-14, 6–3,
11-9
5 h 09 US Open 2004, 2nd round: Sargis Sargsian
def.
Nicolás Massú 6–7(6–8), 6–4, 3–6,
7–6(8–6), 6–4.
5 h 09 Davis Cup 2012: Marin Čilić def.
David Nalbandian 5–7, 6–4, 4–6, 7–6(7–2),
6–3 .
5 h 07 Davis Cup 2012: Janko Tipsarević def.
Radek Štěpánek 5–7, 6–4, 6–4, 4–6,
9–7.
5 h 07 Davis Cup 2007: Dudi Sela def.
Nicolás Massú 6–3, 6–4, 6–7(4–7),
6–4.
5 h 05 Internazionali BNL d'Italia 2006, final:
Rafael Nadal def.
Roger Federer 6–7(0–7), 7–6(7–5),
6–4, 2–6, 7–6(7–5).
5 h 02 Australian Open 2013, 4th round: Novak
Djoković def.
Stanislas Wawrinka 1–6, 7–5, 6–4, 6–7,
12–10
Women
The longest women's match 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(11–9).
The match featured a 29-minute, 643-shot rally,
the longest in professional tennis history.
6 h 31 Central Fidelity Banks International
1984, 1st round: Vicki Nelson def.
Jean Hepner, 6–4, 7–6(11–9).
4 h 44 Australian Open 2011, 4th round: Francesca
Schiavone def.
Svetlana Kuznetsova, 6–4, 1–6, 16–14.
4 h 19 Australian Open 2010, 1st round: Barbora
Záhlavová-Strýcová def.
Regina Kulikova, 7–6(7–5), 6–7(12–10),
6–3.
4 h 07 French Open 1995, 1st round: Virginie
Buisson def.
Noëlle van Lottum, 6–7(3-7), 7–5, 6–2.
3 h 55 French Open 1972, 3rd round: Kerry
Reid def.
Pam Teeguarden, 9–7, 4–6, 16–14.
The longest women's match occurred in 1995
when Chanda Rubin defeated Patricia Hy-Boulais
7–6(7–4), 6–7(5–7), 17–15 in the
second round at Wimbledon.
This 58 game match took 3 hours 45 minutes
to complete.
Doubles
Longest doubles match by time: In a 2013 Davis
Cup first round tie, the Czech Republic team
of Tomáš Berdych and Lukáš Rosol defeated
the Switzerland team of Stanislas Wawrinka
and Marco Chiudinelli in 7 hours, 02 minutes
6–4, 5–7, 6–4, 6–7(3–7), 24–22.
Most games in a doubles match before the introduction
of the tiebreaker: In 
the American Zone Final of the 1973 Davis
Cup, the United States team of Stan Smith
and Erik Van Dillen took 122 games to defeat
the Chile team of Patricio Cornejo and Jaime
Fillol 7–9, 37–39, 8–6, 6–1, 6–3.
Most games in a doubles match after the introduction
of 
the tiebreaker: In 2007 at Wimbledon, the
team of Marcelo Melo and André Sá took 102
games to defeat the team of Paul Hanley and
Kevin Ullyett 5–7, 7–6(7–4), 4–6,
7–6(9–7), 28–26.
Australian Open
Men
Women
Mixed
French Open
Men
Men's doubles
Women
Mixed doubles
Wimbledon
Men
Men's Doubles
Women
Women's Doubles
Mixed doubles
US Open
Men
Women
Mixed doubles
Summer Olympics
Note: The International Olympic Committee
does not recognise records in tennis.
Therefore all the records listed below are
unofficial.
Overall
Before the introduction of the tiebreaker
method:
Longest match by time and number of games
played: Gordon Lowe def.
Augustos Zerlendis at the 1920 Summer Olympics,
76 games, ca. 6 h.
After the introduction of the tiebreaker method:
Longest match by time played: Boris Becker
def.
Christian Ruud at the 1992 Summer Olympics,
first round, 5 h and 53 min.
Longest match by number of games: Jo-Wilfried
Tsonga def.
Milos Raonic at the 2012 Olympics, 66 games.
Men
Singles, best-of-three-sets system
Singles, best-of-five-sets system
Doubles
Women
Singles
Doubles
Davis Cup
See also
Tennis statistics
Shortest tennis match records
Longest tiebreaker in tennis
References
External links
BBC – Extreme tennis: the demands of a 10-hour
game
