You might think that tennis matches are short and sweet. But sometimes, they can last for hours and hours. In fact, the longest tennis match in history lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes. Here’s how it happened.
The Match
This match took place at Wimbledon in 2010. It was between John Isner from the USA and Nicolas Mahut from France. They were playing in the first round of the tournament. The match started on June 22 and ended on June 24. It was spread over three days because of the darkness and the rain.
The Rules
Wimbledon has a special rule for the final set of a match. Unlike other tournaments, there is no tie-break in the final set. That means that the players have to keep playing until one of them wins by two games. This can lead to very long sets if the players are evenly matched.
The Score
The first four sets of the match were normal. Isner won the first set 6-4, Mahut won the second set 6-3, Isner won the third set 7-6, and Mahut won the fourth set 7-6. Then came the final set. The final set lasted 8 hours and 11 minutes. It had 138 games in total. The score was 70-68 for Isner. He finally won the match with an ace.
The Records
This match broke many records in tennis history. It was the longest match in terms of time and number of games. It also had the most aces in a match: 215 for Isner and 103 for Mahut. The fifth set alone was longer than any other match ever played.
The Legacy
So, the match was a remarkable display of endurance and skill by both players. They received a standing ovation from the crowd and a special trophy from Wimbledon. Isner and Mahut also became friends after the match. They played each other again in 2011 and 2012 at Wimbledon, but those matches were much shorter. The epic match of 2010 will always be remembered as one of the greatest moments in tennis history.
