Longest Tennis matches in history (All formats)

Tennis is an entertaining sport loved all around the globe. The sport has produced some of the greatest athletes of all time. It's not an easy sport to play as it drains out every bit of energy from an individual. This game might go on for hours without producing a clear result. People need to stick through with the game because it can turn on its head at any moment. In this article, we have put together a list of the ten longest tennis matches of all time. It includes the longest of long matches from both Men's and women's singles and doubles.

Top 10 longest tennis matches (hh: mm):

1. John Isner vs Nicolas Mahut (11:05)

This is the longest match in the history of Tennis. John Isner came up as the winner in the first round of the 2010 Wimbledon against Nicolas Mahut. It ran for a total duration of 11 hours and 5 minutes which took 3 days to complete the match. The scoreline was: 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(7-9), 7-6(7-3), 70-68. After all this hard work defeat seems heartbreaking, but Mahut took it sportingly. It also goes down as one of the best matches in tennis records.

Also read: Most matches in Tennis history (male & female): Tennis Records

2. The Czech Republic vs Switzerland (07:02)

The second-longest match in tennis history took place in the men's double in the 2013 Davis Cup. Tomas Berdych and Lukas Rosol from the Czech Republic went head to head against Stanislas Wawrinka and Marco Chiudinelli representing Switzerland. The match lasted for 7 hours and 2 minutes which ultimately resulted in a Czech Republic victory. The 1st round match of the 2013 Davis Cup produced one of the greatest thrillers. The scoreline looked like 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-7(3-7), 24-22.

3. Argentina vs Brazil (06:43)

Argentina vs Brazil lasted for 6 hours and 43 minutes in the 2015 Davis Cup 1st round. Leonardo Mayer of Argentina defeated Joao Souza with a scoreline of 7-6(7-4), 7-6(7-5), 5-7, 5-7, 15-13. An incredible match with unimaginable comebacks, kept the match going.

Also Read: 10 longest winning streaks in tennis history which are unforgettable

4. Kevin Anderson vs John Isner (06:36)

John Isner again features in this list, it looks like he loves long spells. But this time he ends up on the losing side against the South African Kevin Anderson. The match was a thriller taking place in the Semi-Finals of the 2018 Wimbledon.

The match ran for 6 hours and 36 minutes exhausting both the players. Kevin defeated the American by 7-6(8-6), 6-7(5-7), 6-7(9-11), 6-4, 26-24. The South African made his way to the finals only to lose against the World no. 1 Novak Djokovic.

5. Fabrice Santoro vs Arnaud Clement (06:33)

The battle of the French men continued for up to two days. The match duration was 6 hours and 33 minutes. It was a first-round match of the 2004 French Open. On the 2nd day, Fabrice Santoro emerged victorious with a scoreline of 6-4, 6-3, 6-7(5-7), 3-6, 16-14.

6. Vicki Nelson vs Jean Hepner (06:31)

It was the first-round match of the 1984 Central Fidelity Banks International. Vicki Nelson defeated Jean Hepner with a scoreline of 6-4, 7-6(13-11) after battling for 6 hours and 31 minutes.

Also read: Grand Slam Records: Most Grand Slam singles match wins

7. The United States of America vs Sweden (06:22)

It was the quarter-final of the 1982 Davis Cup. When John McEnroe of the USA defeated Mats Wilander of Sweden after spending 6 hours and 22 minutes on the court. It was before the tie-break era was introduced. The scoreline of the game was: 9-7, 6-2, 15-17, 3-6, and 8-6.

8. Germany vs USA (06:21)

It was the 1987 Davis Cup playoffs when Boris Becker from Germany defeated John McEnroe. It was just a minute short of McEnroe's longest game in his career which he played 5 years earlier. Becker defeated John after 6 hours and 21 minutes with a scoreline of 4-6, 15-13, 8-10, 6-2, 6-2. The scoreline looks different because the tie-breaker rule was not applicable then.

Read Also: Top 10 fastest serves in Tennis history (ATP recognised)

9. Argentina vs Russia (06:20)

The men's doubles of the 2002 Davis Cup semi-final between Argentina and Russia lasted for 6 hours and 20 minutes. Lucas Arnold Ker and David Nalbandian from Argentina defeated Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safin representing Russia with a scoreline of 6-4, 6-4, 5-7, 3-6, 19-17.

10. Argentina vs USA (06:15)

Jose Luis Clerc from Argentina took on John McEnroe in the 1980 Davis Cup Final. John McEnroe featured third time in the list but ended up losing the final against Jose. The match duration was 6 hours and 15 minutes. It ended with a scoreline favouring the Argentine by 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 14-12. It was way before the Tie-breaker system was introduced in Tennis.