Longest-Standing Tennis Duels: Historic Marathon Contests

Longest-Standing Tennis Duels: Historic Marathon Contests

By Alex Windsor | Brian Webb | April 3, 2025

If you think tennis is just a leisurely game of volleys and gentle backhands, think again! Tennis matches can put even the fittest athletes to the test. While the average game lasts around 2 hours, there have been matches that have pushed players to their absolute limits, spanning for 11 hours and beyond. Here are some of the most grueling matches in tennis history, showcasing the sport's champions of endurance.

The Marathon of Tennis: John Isner vs. Nicolas Mahut (2010 Wimbledon)

When you consider an average three-set tennis match lasts for around 90 minutes, John Isner and Nicolas Mahut's encounter will go down in history as one of the most memorable. Although tennis betting might not be as popular as other sports like football or horse racing, games like this are guaranteed to raise its profile.

The final result of the first-round Wimbledon match was eventually won by American John Isner 6-4, 3-6, 6-7, 7-6, 70-68, making for a staggering 11 hours and 5 minutes of play. This marathon was spread out over three days at the All England Club.

Initially, the match didn't seem particularly remarkable. Both players had decent records, with Isner building a strong reputation as a big serving American who could thrive on grass. However, it was scheduled on court 18 and wasn't deemed high profile enough for one of the show courts. The match began on June 18, 2010, with four sets being completed before bad light halted play.

Both players returned the following day to contest a fifth set, with both constantly holding serve before, once again, play was halted due to bad light. Remarkably, this meant play would enter a third day. To add to the uniqueness, the electronic board stopped working at 47-47 in the fifth set, as it hadn't been programmed to record a score beyond that.

After what felt like the entire two weeks of the tournament, and likely years for the players, Isner eventually prevailed in the 138th game of the fifth set to progress to the second round, forever etching his name into the history of Wimbledon and tennis as a whole.

Longest Tennis Matches: More Epic Encounters

Although Isner vs Mahut is the longest tennis match ever played, there have been other equally epic encounters. Amazingly, Isner features twice in the list of the top 10 longest tennis matches. His semi-final match at the 2018 Wimbledon against Kevin Anderson lasted six hours and 36 minutes.

The longest match in women's singles history was rather lengthy itself, lasting around six hours and 31 minutes between Jean Harper and Vicki Nelson in the first round of the Central Fidelity Banks International event back in 1984. Similarly, in doubles, the longest match occurred at the 2013 Davis Cup between Switzerland and the Czech Republic, lasting seven hours and two minutes.

The Tenacious Titans: The Longest Tennis Matches at a Glance

1. John Isner vs. Nicolas Mahut (2010 Wimbledon)
2. Duration: 11 hours and 5 minutes
3. Score: 6-4, 3-6, 6-7, 7-6, 70-68
4. Leonardo Mayer vs. João Souza (2015 Davis Cup)
5. Duration: 6 hours and 43 minutes
6. Fabrice Santoro vs. Arnaud Clément (2004 French Open)
7. Duration: 6 hours and 33 minutes
8. Novak Djokovic vs. Rafael Nadal (2012 Australian Open)
9. Duration: 5 hours and 53 minutes
10. Score: 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7, 7-5
11. Gilles Müller vs. Lukáš Rosol (2016 Wimbledon)
12. Duration: 4 hours and 58 minutes
13. Kevin Anderson vs. John Isner (2018 Wimbledon)
14. Duration: 6 hours and 36 minutes
15. Score: 7-6(6), 6-7(5), 6-7(9), 6-4, 26-24
16. Marin Čilić vs. Gilles Simon (2015 US Open)
17. Duration: 5 hours and 8 minutes
18. Stan Wawrinka vs. Kei Nishikori (2015 French Open)
19. Duration: 5 hours and 9 minutes
20. Andy Murray vs. Stan Wawrinka (2013 US Open)
21. Duration: 4 hours and 34 minutes
22. Brian Baker vs. Édouard Roger-Vasselin (2012 French Open)
    • Duration: 4 hours and 34 minutes

Alex Windsor A ten-year iGaming industry veteran, Alex Windsor specializes in sports betting and betting tools. As the Managing Editor at our website, he ensures content quality, accuracy of all offers, and provides insightful reviews to help you make informed choices. With a passion for football and soccer, Alex is committed to offering a reliable resource focusing on betting tools to assist with odds, accas, and other betting strategies.

1. It's surprising that even though tennis betting might not be as popular as football or horse racing, matches like the one between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut can significantly boost its popularity.
2. In sports analysis, the marathon match between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut at the 2010 Wimbledon, which lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes, is now considered a milestone in tennis history.
3. Astonishingly, John Isner has held some of the longest tennis matches on record; his semi-final match at the 2018 Wimbledon against Kevin Anderson lasted an unbelievable 6 hours and 36 minutes.
4. Energy levels of tennis players were put to the test in the longest tennis match in women's singles history between Jean Harper and Vicki Nelson, which lasted approximately 6 hours and 31 minutes in 1984.

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