With billions of ardent followers from around the world, tennis is undoubtedly one of the most popular and prominent sports on a global level. The spine-chilling action in a tennis match continues till a player scores the required number of points, often making the duration of the match extremely long.
From witnessing their favourite tennis players clinch grand slams to watching them leave the match in between due to unfortunate injuries, tennis aficionados, over the years, have undeniably witnessed numerous memorable instances. Although, on an average, a best-of-3 tennis match lasts about 90 minutes in tennis matches, the actual duration can never be decided beforehand.
In this article we will take a look at the top four longest tennis matches ever played in the history of the sport.
Top 4 Longest Tennis Matches Ever Recorded
| S.No | Match | Duration | Event | Year |
| 1 | John Isner vs. Nicolas Mahut | 11 hours 5 minutes | Wimbledon | 2010 |
| 2 | Leonardo Mayer vs. João Souza | 6 hours 43 minutes | Davis Cup | 2015 |
| 3 | Kevin Anderson vs. John Isner | 6 hours 36 minutes | Wimbledon | 2018 |
| 4 | Fabrice Santoro vs. Arnaud Clément | 6 hours 33 minutes | French Open | 2004 |
John Isner vs. Nicolas Mahut At The 2010 Wimbledon
Often hailed as the most iconic and memorable match ever played in the history of tennis, the on-court tussle between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut at the 2010 Wimbledon Championship is at the first spot in our list of the top four longest tennis matches ever played in the history of the sport. The match spanned over a period of three days from June 22 to June 24, 2010, and lasted for an unbelievable 11 hours and 5 minutes.
The iconic match between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut started on June 22, 2010, but was ultimately suspended due to darkness. The spine-chilling rivalry between the two iconic tennis players continued to the next day, i.e. 23 June 2010. While the tennis aficionados from around the world were eagerly looking forward to some blood-curdling action, the match was again halted at 59-59 due to fading light.
The third day of the match witnessed John Isner break Nicolas Mahut’s serve, reserving his victory at the 2010 Wimbledon. Interestingly, for the very first time in the history of tennis, both players were awarded with a special trophy for their record-breaking performance.
Leonardo Mayer vs. João Souza At The 2015 Davis Cup
At the second spot in our list of the top four longest matches ever recorded in the history of tennis, we have the iconic “Leonardo Mayer v/s João Souza” at the 2015 Davis Cup edition that lasted for a record total of 6 hours and 43 minutes, making it the second-longest match as of February 2025.
Often regarded as the longest Davis Cup match ever recorded, the match between Argentina’s Leonardo Mayer and Brazil’s João Souza surpassed the previous duration record of 6 hours and 22 minutes held by John McEnroe v/s Mats Wilander in the 1982 Davis Cup edition. Although both players were even-steven, and the first two rounds went to tiebreakers, Argentina’s Leonardo Mayer finally clinched the fifth set (15-13) after a duration of 6 hours and 43 minutes.
Kevin Anderson vs. John Isner At The 2018 Wimbledon
The 2018 Wimbledon semi-finals between Kevin Anderson and John Isner was nothing short of an epic battle that lasted for 6 hours and 36 minutes, making it the third-longest match ever recorded in the history of tennis and the longest Grand Slam semi-final ever witnessed.
Both the players combined for a phenomenal total of 102 aces, 53 out of which came from John Isner and the remaining 49 aces were smashed by Kevin Anderson. The fifth set of the match lasted for an astonishing duration of 2 hours and 50 minutes, when finally Anderson Isner broke Isner’s serve at 24-24 and clinched the match.
The iconic battle between Kevin Anderson and John Isner witnessed on July 13, 2018, at Center Court is still hailed as one of the most memorable grand slam semi-finals.
Fabrice Santoro vs. Arnaud Clément At The 2004 French Open
Finally, at the fourth spot in our list of the top four longest matches ever recorded in the history of tennis, we have the famed “Fabrice Santoro vs. Arnaud Clément” battle at the 2004 French Open that lasted for 6 hours and 33 minutes. In addition to being the fourth-longest tennis match ever recorded, the iconic “Fabrice Santoro vs. Arnaud Clément’s battle at the 2004 French Open is also hailed as the longest match in the history of the French Open as of February 2025.
Fabrice Santoro defeated Arnaud Clément in the first two sets with a phenomenal 6-4 and 6-3 score. Well, Clément undoubtedly made a roaring comeback and defeated Santoro with a shocking 7-6 and 6-3 score. Although Clément gave everything he had in the game, Santoro finally broke Clément’s serve and won the match by a phenomenal 16-14 score. The fifth set of the match alone lasted for a record 2 hours and 32 minutes and, unlike Wimbledon 2010, there was no tie-breaker.
