Tennis is one of the most exhausting sports out there. They often become protracted battles that put both players to the test. Not only physically, but psychologically. A small mistake can unintentionally lead you to defeat. The resistance and the condition of each one are vital. The match between John Isner and Nicholas Mahut at Wimbledon in 2010 is proof of this.
It was the longest match in tennis history.
Normally, a match lasts on average three sets and around 90 minutes. This is why tennis players are considered athletic machines. But others glorify this sport even more, to the extreme. The tennis match between Isner and Mahut lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes and was played over three days at the All England Club. Up to 665 minutes of heart attack. Never has a men’s singles first round at Wimbledon been so intense.
The players played four sets on the first day, but the match had to be stopped due to lack of natural light. They returned with energy the next day and began a fifth set torture, relentlessly resisting each of the opponent’s serves. Their determination was admirable. Unfortunately, the match was again called off due to lack of natural light and was extended to a third day. Nobody could believe it.
Even the electronic scoreboard stopped working at 47-47 in the fifth set, as it was not scheduled to beat that score. The players continued the eternal battle until the American finally came out on top, holding serve in game 137 of the fifth set, then smashed Mahut in 138 to win. John Isner won 6-4, 3-6, 6-7, 7-6, 70-68. Only the fifth set lasted eight hours and 11 minutes. He then retired in the second round against Dutchman Thiemo De Bakker in straight sets, when the aftermath of the previous match logically affected him.
To remember such an epic moment, a plaque was hung on court 18 where the match was held in honor of both players. They were praised for their admirable effort. John McEnroe said: “This is the biggest announcement in our sport. I’m proud to be a part of it. We often don’t get the respect we deserve in tennis for the athletic demands it places on players, but this should boost that respect.” Roger Federer was also amazed at him: “It’s so impressive. I don’t know if he was crying or laughing. It was too much.”
Change in scoring system
Today the surreal story of Isner and Mahut could not be repeated, as tennis matches now use a different scoring system to break the tie and decide the outcome in the final set. Previously, it was established that the final set in the Grand Slams was played until any tennis player had won two games more than his opponent (advantage of two, as it is commonly known), with a minimum of six games won (except the US Open, where a tiebreaker has always been used).
However, now new systems have been implemented in different Grand Slams. At the Australian Open, for example, in case the final set is tied at 6-6, a super tie-breaker (first player to reach 10 points) to determine the winner. At Wimbledon, a tie break is now played if the final set is tied at 12-12.
Other very long tennis matches
The matchup between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut is the longest tennis match ever played. Curiously, Isner appears twice on the list of the 10 longest. In the 2018 Wimbledon semi-finals, Isner lost to South Africa’s Kevin Anderson in another feat that lasted six hours and 36 minutes. It was the fourth longest match in tennis history.
Other examples: in the women’s singles lasted six hours and 31 minutes the match between Americans Vicki Nelson and Jean Hepner in the first round of the 1984 Central Fidelity Banks International tournament. The longest doubles match was played in the 2013 Davis Cup between the Czech Republic and Switzerland. Tomas Berdych and Lukas Rosol defeated Stanislas Wawrinka and Marco Chiudinelli in a match that lasted seven hours and two minutes. It is the second longest match in tennis history.