By Randy Walker
@TennisPublisher
Kevin Anderson’s elongated 7-6 (6), 6-7 (5), 6-7 (9), 6-4, 26-24 in six hours and 36 minutes in the semifinals of Wimbledon will go down in history as the second longest match in Wimbledon history and the fourth longest tennis match of all time.
All tennis fans are aware that the longest tennis match of all time also featured Isner in his 11 hour and five minute 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (3), 70-68, 2010 Wimbledon first round victory over Nicolas Mahut of France.
The second longest match of all time was actually in doubles when Tomas Berdych and Lukas Rosol defeated Stan Wawrinka and Marco Chiudinelli in seven hours, two minutes 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 24-22 in the 2013 Davis Cup first round in Geneva.
The third longest match of all time – and second longest singles match of all time – was also in Davis Cup in six hours, 43 minutes when Leonardo Mayer of Argentina defeated Joao Souza of Brazil 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5), 5-7, 5-7, 15-13 in the Davis Cup first round in Buenos Aires in 2015.
Anderson’s win over Isner then ranks No. 4 all-time at 6:36, just ahead of Fabrice Santoro’s 6:33 win over Arnaud Clement at the 2004 French Open and the curious, infamous two-set moonball match between Vicki Nelson Dunbar and Jean Hepner won by Nelson Dunbar 6-4, 7-6(13-11) in six hours and 31 minutes in the first round of the Virginia Slims of Richmond in 1984.
The updated list of the longest matches of all time, as taken and sourced from The Bud Collins History of Tennis book (available for sale and download here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1937559386/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_2xDsBbJJ812NZ)
UPDATED LONGEST MATCHES OF ALL TIME
11:05 John Isner d. Nicolas Mahut 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (3), 70-68, 2010 Wimbledon first round
7:02 Tomas Berdych and Lukas Rosol d. Stan Wawrinka and Marco Chiudinelli 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 24-22, 2013 Davis Cup first round, Geneva
6:43 Leonardo Mayer d. Joao Souza 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5), 5-7, 5-7, 15-13, Davis Cup first round Buenos Aires, 2015
6:36 Kevin Anderson d. John Isner 7-6 (6), 6-7 (5), 6-7 (9), 6-4, 26-24, 2018 Wimbledon semifinal
6:33 Fabrice Santoro d. Arnaud Clement 6-4, 6-3, 6-7 (5), 3-6, 16-14, 2004 French Open first round
6:31 Vicki Nelson Dunbar d. Jean Hepner, 6-4, 7-6 (13-11), 1984, Richmond, Va., first round (tie-breaker alone lasted 1 hour and 47 minutes, one point lasted 29 minutes, a rally of 643 strokes)
