Longest tennis match records

Fabrice Santoro won the longest ATP recognized tennis match at the 2004 French Open. He won in 6 hours 33 minutes.

This article details longest tennis match records. Records concerning the length of tennis matches can refer to either the length of time that a match takes up or the number of games which a tennis match lasts for. Many of the records have been affected by the introduction of the tiebreak in 1973 which has resulted in many earlier records not being broken.

All time

Time

• Longest match: At the 2004 French Open, Fabrice Santoro took 6 hours, 33 minutes to defeat Arnaud Clément 6–4, 6–3, 6–7(5), 3–6, 16–14.
• Longest women's match: In 1984, Vicki Nelson took 6 hours, 31 minutes to defeat Jean Hepner 6–4, 7–6(11). The match featured a 29-minute, 643-shot rally, the longest in professional tennis history.
• Longest match completed in a single day: The Nelson–Hepner match above remains the longest to be completed within a single day. The 2004 Santoro–Clément match was suspended by darkness in the fifth set with 4:38 elapsed, and completed the following day.
• Longest doubles match: In a 2002 Davis Cup semifinal tie, Lucas Arnold/David Nalbandian defeated Yevgeny Kafelnikov/Marat Safin in 6 hours, 20 minutes 6–4, 6–4, 5–7, 3–6, 19–17.
• Longest unofficial professional match: On 25 February 2009, Chris Eaton defeated James Ward in a play off match to represent the United Kingdom in Davis Cup. Eaton won the match 6–3, 6–2, 6–7(3), 2–6, 21–19 in 6 hours and 40 minutes. If the match had been recognized by the ATP it would have officially been the longest match played by seven minutes.

Games

• Most games in a singles match before the introduction of the tiebreaker: In 1969 at Wimbledon, Pancho Gonzales took 112 games to defeat Charlie Pasarell in the first round 22–24, 1–6, 16–14, 6–3, 11–9.
• Most games in a singles match after the introduction of the tiebreaker: In 2003 at the Australian Open, Andy Roddick took 83 games to defeat Younes El Aynaoui in the quarterfinals 4–6, 7–6(5), 4–6, 6–4, 21–19.
• 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(4), 4–6, 7–6(7), 28–26.

Australian Open

Men

• Longest singles match by time played: In 2009, Rafael Nadal took 5 hours, 14 minutes to defeat Fernando Verdasco in the semifinals 6–7(4), 6–4, 7–6(2), 6–7(1), 6–4.
• Longest singles final by number of games before the introduction of the tiebreaker: In 1927, Gerald Patterson took 71 games to defeat John Hawkes 3–6, 6–4, 3–6, 18–16, 6–3.

Women

• Longest singles final by number of games before the introduction of the tiebreaker: In 1956, Mary Carter Reitano took 33 games to defeat Thelma Coyne Long 3–6, 6–2, 9–7.
• Longest singles match by time played: In a 2010 first-round match, Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová defeated Regina Kulikova 7–6(5), 6–7(10), 6–3 in a match that lasted 4 hours, 19 minutes. This is also a record for all women's Grand Slam events in the open era, and is believed to be the second-longest women's match of all time.

Wimbledon

Men

The 2008 Wimbledon final between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal lasted 4 hours 48 minutes and is, to date, the longest singles final by time played.

• Longest singles final by time played: In 2008, Rafael Nadal took 4 hours, 48 minutes to defeat Roger Federer 6–4, 6–4, 6–7(5), 6–7(8), 9–7.
• Longest singles final by number of games before the introduction of the tiebreaker: In 1954, Jaroslav Drobný took 58 games to defeat Ken Rosewall 13–11, 4–6, 6–2, 9–7.
• Longest singles final by number of games since the introduction of the tiebreaker: In 2009, Roger Federer took 77 games to defeat Andy Roddick 5–7, 7–6(6), 7–6(5), 3–6, 16–14.
• Longest singles match by number of games before the introduction of the tiebreaker: In 1969, Pancho Gonzales took 112 games to defeat Charlie Pasarell in the first round 22–24, 1–6, 16–14, 6–3, 11–9.
• Longest singles match by time played since the introduction of the tiebreaker: In 2000, Mark Philippoussis took 5 hours, 5 minutes to defeat Sjeng Schalken 4–6, 6–3, 6–7(7), 7–6(4), 20–18.
• Longest doubles match by number of games before the introduction of the tiebreaker: In 1966, Nikki Pilic and Gene Scott took 98 games to defeat Cliff Richey and Torben Ulrich in the first round 19–21, 12–10, 6–4, 4–6, 9–7.
• Longest doubles final by number of games before the introduction of the tiebreaker: In 1968, John Newcombe and Tony Roche took 70 games to defeat Ken Rosewall and Fred Stolle 3–6, 8–6, 5–7, 14–12, 6–3.

Women

• Longest singles final by time played: In 2005, Venus Williams took 2 hours, 45 minutes to beat Lindsay Davenport 4–6, 7–6(4), 9–7.
• Longest singles final by number of games before the introduction of the tiebreaker: In 1970, Margaret Court took 46 games to defeat Billie Jean King 14–12, 11–9.
• Longest singles match by number of games before the introduction of the tiebreaker: In 1948, A. Weiwers took 54 games to defeat Rita Anderson in the second round 8–10, 14–12, 6–4.
• Longest doubles match by number of games before the introduction of the tiebreaker: In 1933, Pat Brazier and Christabel Wheatcroft took 48 games to defeat Mildred Nonwiler and Betty Soames in the first round 11–9, 5–7, 9–7.
• Longest doubles finals by number of games before the introduction of the tiebreaker:
  1. In 1933, Simone Mathieu and Elizabeth Ryan took 38 games to defeat Freda James and Billie Yorke 6–2, 9–11, 6–4.
  2. In 1967, Billie Jean King and Rosemary Casals took 38 games to defeat Maria Bueno and Nancy Richey Gunter 9–11, 6–4, 6–2.

Mixed doubles

• Longest match by number of games before the introduction of the tiebreaker: In 1967, Ken Fletcher and Margaret Court took 56 games to defeat Alex Metreveli and Anna Dmitrieva in the quarterfinals 6–8, 7–5, 16–14.
• Longest final by number of games before the introduction of the tiebreaker: In 1949, Eric Sturgess and Sheila Piercey Summers took 48 games to defeat John Bromwich and Louise Brough Clapp 9–7, 9–11, 7–5.

French Open

Men

• Longest match by time played: In 2004, Fabrice Santoro took 6 hours, 33 minutes to defeat Arnaud Clément 6–4, 6–3, 6–7(5), 3–6, 16–14.
• Longest match by number of games before the introduction of the tiebreaker: In a 1951 semifinal, Eric Sturgess took 76 games to defeat Ken McGregor 10–8, 7–9, 8–6, 5–7, 9–7.
• Longest match by number of games since the introduction of the tiebreaker:
  1. In 1994, Ronald Agénor took 71 games to defeat David Prinosil in the second round 6–7(4), 6–7(2), 6–3, 6–4, 14–12.
  2. In 2004, Santoro took 71 games to defeat Clément.
  3. In 2010, Lacko took 71 games to defeat Yani in the first round with the score of: 4-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(4), 6-7(5), 12-10.
• Longest singles final by number of games before the introduction of the tiebreaker: In 1927, René Lacoste took 61 games to defeat Bill Tilden 6–4, 4–6, 5–7, 6–3, 11–9.
• Longest doubles finals by number of games before the introduction of the tiebreaker
  1. In 1934, Jean Borotra and Jacques Brugnon took 63 games to defeat Jack Crawford and Vivian McGrath 11–9, 6–3, 2–6, 4–6, 9–7.
  2. In 1971, Arthur Ashe and Marty Riessen took 63 games to defeat Tom Gorman and Stan Smith 6–8, 4–6, 6–3, 6–4, 11–9.

Women

• Longest match by number of games before the introduction of the tiebreaker: In 1972, Kerry Melville Reid took 56 games to defeat Pam Teeguarden in a third round match 9–7, 4–6, 16–14.
• Longest singles final by number of games before AND after the introduction of the tiebreaker: In 2001, Jennifer Capriati took 39 games to defeat Kim Clijsters 1–6, 6–4, 12–10.
• Longest doubles final by number of games before the introduction of the tiebreaker: In 1955, Beverly Baker Fleitz and Darlene Hard took 50 games to defeat Shirley Brasher Bloomer and Patricia Ward Hales 7–5, 6–8, 13–11.

Mixed doubles

• Longest final by number of games before the introduction of the tiebreaker: In 1958, Nicola Pietrangeli and Shirley Brasher Bloomer took 38 games to defeat Robert Howe and Lorraine Coghlan Robinson 9–7, 6–8, 6–2.

US Open

Men

• Longest match by time played: In 1992, Stefan Edberg took 5 hours, 26 minutes to defeat Michael Chang 6-7(3), 7-5, 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-4 .
• Longest match by number of games before the introduction of the tiebreaker:
  1. In 1966, Marcelo Lara and Joaquin Loyo-Mayo took 105 games to defeat Manuel Santana and L. Garcia in the third round 10–12, 24–22, 11–9, 3–6, 6–2.
  2. In 1967, Cliff Drysdale and Ray Moore took 105 games to defeat Roy Emerson and Ron Barnes in the quarterfinals 29–31, 8–6, 3–6, 8–6, 6–2.
• Longest singles match by number of games before the introduction of the tiebreaker: In 1969, F.D. Robbins took 100 games to defeat Donald Dell in the first round 22–20, 9–7, 6–8, 8–10, 6–4.
• Longest singles final by number of games before the introduction of the tiebreaker: In 1949, Pancho Gonzales took 67 games to defeat Ted Schroeder 16–18, 2–6, 6–1, 6–2, 6–4.
• Longest doubles final by number of games before the introduction of the tiebreaker: In 1946, Gardnar Mulloy and William Talbert took 74 games to defeat F. Guernsey and Don McNeill 3–6, 6–4, 2–6, 6–3, 20–18.

Women

• Longest best-of-five-sets match by number of games before the introduction of the tiebreaker: In 1898 in the challenge round, Juliette Atkinson took 51 games to defeat Marion Jones 6–3, 5–7, 6–4, 2–6, 7–5.
• Longest doubles final by number of games before the introduction of the tiebreaker: In 1920, Eleanor Goss and Marion Zinderstein took 43 games to defeat Helen Baker and Eleanor "Teach" Tennant 13–11, 4–6, 6–3.

Mixed doubles

• Longest final by number of games before the introduction of the tiebreaker: In 1959, Neale Fraser and Margaret Osborne duPont took 48 games to defeat Bob Mark and Janet Hopps Adkisson 7–5, 13–15, 6–2.

Davis Cup

• Longest rubber by duration: It took 6 hours and 22 mins for John McEnroe (USA) to defeat Mats Wilander (SWE) in 1982.
• Longest rubber by number of games: In the doubles rubber of the 1973 American Zone Final between Chile and the USA, Americans Stan Smith and Erik Van Dillen beat Chileans Patricio Cornejo and Jaime Fillol 7–9, 37–39, 8–6, 6–1, 6–3 (122 games).
• Longest set by number of games: The second set of this rubber was the longest by games in Davis Cup history, requiring 76 games. The Chileans won this set 39–37.

See also

• Tennis statistics
• Shortest tennis match records