Tennis can push the human body to its absolute limits, and nowhere has that been more evident than at Wimbledon. The All England Club hosted the longest match in history when John Isner and Nicolas Mahut battled for 11 hours and 5 minutes across three days in 2010. That record will almost certainly never be broken, but the grass courts keep producing unforgettable marathons.
Novak Djokovic’s 4-hour 57-minute 2019 final against Roger Federer remains the longest Wimbledon final ever played, and at this year’s Championships, the 39-year-old went even further, surviving the longest quarter-final in tournament history with a 5-hour 15-minute five-set epic against Felix Auger-Aliassime.
10 Longest Tennis Matches in History
Seven of the ten were played in the Davis Cup, where the best-of-five format and hostile away crowds have historically produced the most gruelling encounters.
| Winner | Loser | Score | Duration | Tournament |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Isner (USA) | Nicolas Mahut (FRA) | 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(7), 7-6(3), 70-68 | 11h 05m | 2010 Wimbledon |
| Leonardo Mayer (ARG) | Joao Souza (BRA) | 7-6(4), 7-6(5), 5-7, 5-7, 15-13 | 6h 43m | 2015 Davis Cup |
| Kevin Anderson (RSA) | John Isner (USA) | 7-6(6), 6-7(5), 6-7(9), 6-4, 26-24 | 6h 36m | 2018 Wimbledon |
| Fabrice Santoro (FRA) | Arnaud Clement (FRA) | 6-4, 6-3, 6-7(5), 3-6, 16-14 | 6h 33m | 2004 French Open |
| John McEnroe (USA) | Mats Wilander (SWE) | 9-7, 6-2, 15-17, 3-6, 8-6 | 6h 22m | 1982 Davis Cup |
| Boris Becker (GER) | John McEnroe (USA) | 4-6, 15-13, 8-10, 6-2, 6-2 | 6h 21m | 1987 Davis Cup |
| Jose Luis Clerc (ARG) | John McEnroe (USA) | 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 14-12 | 6h 15m | 1980 Davis Cup |
| Horst Skoff (AUT) | Mats Wilander (SWE) | 6-7(5), 7-6(9), 1-6, 6-4, 9-7 | 6h 04m | 1989 Davis Cup |
| Harry Fritz (CAN) | Jorge Andrew (VEN) | 16-14, 11-9, 9-11, 4-6, 11-9 | 6h 01m | 1982 Davis Cup |
| Radek Stepanek (CZE) | Ivo Karlovic (CRO) | 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 7-6(6), 6-7(2), 16-14 | 5h 59m | 2009 Davis Cup |
1. John Isner vs Nicolas Mahut, 2010 Wimbledon (11 Hours 5 Minutes)
The match that broke the scoreboard. Isner defeated Mahut 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(7), 7-6(3), 70-68 in a first-round clash on Court 18 that spanned three days. The fifth set alone lasted 8 hours and 11 minutes, longer than any other complete match in tennis history. Both players served over 100 aces and held serve for 168 consecutive games before Isner finally broke through in the 138th game of the decider.
2. Leonardo Mayer vs Joao Souza, 2015 Davis Cup (6 Hours 43 Minutes)
The longest clay-court match and longest Davis Cup singles match in history. Argentina’s Mayer outlasted Brazil’s Souza 7-6(4), 7-6(5), 5-7, 5-7, 15-13 in the first round, needing nine match points before finally converting. Mayer’s victory levelled the tie and Argentina went on to win, eventually reaching the semi-finals before falling to Belgium.
3. Kevin Anderson vs John Isner, 2018 Wimbledon (6 Hours 36 Minutes)
Isner features twice on this list. South Africa’s Anderson defeated the American 7-6(6), 6-7(5), 6-7(9), 6-4, 26-24 in the longest Grand Slam semi-final in history. Both men were big servers who had played college tennis in the United States. Anderson advanced to face Novak Djokovic in the final, where he was beaten in straight sets after the physical toll of this marathon.
4. Fabrice Santoro vs Arnaud Clement, 2004 French Open (6 Hours 33 Minutes)
The longest match ever played at Roland Garros and the first non-Davis Cup entry on this list. Frenchman Santoro, known as “The Magician,” defeated compatriot Clement 6-4, 6-3, 6-7(5), 3-6, 16-14 in a first-round battle that held the all-time record for six years until Isner and Mahut surpassed it. Santoro went on to win another five-set match before exiting in the third round.
5. John McEnroe vs Mats Wilander, 1982 Davis Cup (6 Hours 22 Minutes)
McEnroe’s longest career match ended in victory during a decisive Davis Cup quarter-final rubber between the United States and Sweden. McEnroe prevailed 9-7, 6-2, 15-17, 3-6, 8-6 in a contest played before tiebreaks were introduced. His win propelled the Americans to the title, defeating France 4-1 in the final. The third set alone featured 32 games.
6. Boris Becker vs John McEnroe, 1987 Davis Cup (6 Hours 21 Minutes)
McEnroe’s second appearance in the top ten ended in defeat. Germany’s Becker outlasted the American 4-6, 15-13, 8-10, 6-2, 6-2 in a Davis Cup relegation playoff that featured three five-set matches across the tie. Germany won 3-2, with Becker winning two of the three five-setters. The second and third sets alone produced 36 games between them.
7. Jose Luis Clerc vs John McEnroe, 1980 Davis Cup (6 Hours 15 Minutes)
McEnroe’s third entry on the list and his earliest chronologically. Argentina’s Clerc beat McEnroe 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 14-12 in the Americas Inter-Zonal final, remarkably in only four sets. Without tiebreaks, the fourth set went to 14-12 and accounted for the bulk of the match duration. It was McEnroe’s first ever Davis Cup defeat, played on slow clay in front of a hostile Buenos Aires crowd.
8. Horst Skoff vs Mats Wilander, 1989 Davis Cup (6 Hours 4 Minutes)
One of the great Davis Cup upsets. Austria’s Skoff, ranked around 30th in the world, defeated top-five player Wilander 6-7(5), 7-6(9), 1-6, 6-4, 9-7 in a quarter-final clash on clay. Despite Skoff’s heroic effort, Sweden still won the tie 3-2 and went on to reach the final, where they lost to West Germany.
9. Harry Fritz vs Jorge Andrew, 1982 Davis Cup (6 Hours 1 Minute)
The oldest match on this list was played during a qualification-round tie between Canada and Venezuela. Fritz won 16-14, 11-9, 9-11, 4-6, 11-9 in a 100-game contest played before tiebreaks existed. Canada won the tie 4-1 but lost in the Inter-Zonal final to Paraguay. The match stands as a reminder of how physically punishing tennis was before modern scoring reforms.
10. Radek Stepanek vs Ivo Karlovic, 2009 Davis Cup (5 Hours 59 Minutes)
The 213cm Karlovic set the world record for aces in a single match with 78, but it was not enough. Czech Republic’s Stepanek won 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 7-6(6), 6-7(2), 16-14 in a Davis Cup semi-final played on clay, with only three breaks of serve across the entire match. The victory helped the Czech Republic reach the final, where they lost to Spain.
Longest Tennis Matches in Wimbledon History
The All England Club has produced some of the most memorable marathon matches in Grand Slam history. Three of the five longest Wimbledon matches have involved Novak Djokovic, including the 2026 quarter-final that became the longest in the tournament’s history at that stage.
| Rank | Match | Round | Year | Duration | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isner def Mahut | First Round | 2010 | 11h 05m | 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(7), 7-6(3), 70-68 |
| 2 | Anderson def Isner | Semi-final | 2018 | 6h 36m | 7-6(6), 6-7(5), 6-7(9), 6-4, 26-24 |
| 3 | Djokovic def Auger-Aliassime | Quarter-final | 2026 | 5h 15m | 7-6(10), 3-6, 6-3, 6-7(4), 7-6(10-4) |
| 4 | Djokovic def Nadal | Semi-final | 2018 | 5h 15m | 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(9), 3-6, 10-8 |
| 5 | Djokovic def Federer | Final | 2019 | 4h 57m | 7-6(5), 1-6, 7-6(4), 4-6, 13-12(3) |
Why the Longest Tennis Match Record Will Almost Certainly Never Be Broken
The introduction of final-set tiebreaks across all four Grand Slams has effectively ended the era of marathon fifth sets. Wimbledon now plays a match tiebreak at 12-12 in the final set, a rule adopted after the Anderson-Isner 2018 semi-final. The Australian Open uses a super tiebreak (first to 10 points) at 6-6, while the US Open has always used a standard tiebreak.
The French Open was the last to adopt a deciding tiebreak but has since followed suit. The Davis Cup format has also been shortened from five sets to three, removing seven of the top ten’s competition from future contention. John Isner and Nicolas Mahut’s 11-hour, 183-game epic on Court 18 in 2010 will almost certainly stand forever as the ultimate test of human endurance on a tennis court.
The longest tennis match in history lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes, and the scoreboard literally broke trying to keep up.
