Top 5 longest matches at US Open
Find out the 5 longest matches in the history of the US Open featuring Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Carlos Alcaraz, and Jannik Sinner.
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Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Carlos Alcaraz, and Jannik Sinner (Image via BBC and ATP Tour)
The US Open is the final major tournament of the season, held in Queens, New York. Since 1987 it has been the final tournament of the season and is played on hard courts. It consists of five championships which are the men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles, and mixed doubles.
The US Open has a history of giving excellent match-ups over the years, with many distinguished champions over the years. The tournament has seen many surprise champions as well like last year’s women’s singles champion Emma Raducanu who came through to go all the way as a qualifier.
Here we look at the 5 longest matches in history that have been played at the US Open over the years.
#5 Albert Ramos-Vinolas vs. Denis Istomin- 4-6, 7-6, 7-5, 6-7, 7-5 in 4 hours 55 minutes
Back in 2017, in the first round of the US Open, Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas faced off against Denis Istomin which is the 4th longest match in US Open history as it lasted for 4 hours 55 minutes. In the same year, Istomin had pulled off a huge upset against Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open but his luck ran out in New York.
The first set lasted 47 minutes as the two men battled their hearts out to book a place in the second round of the tournament, the first set was the only set that was under an hour as all of the other sets lasted more than an hour. In the end, Ramos-Vinolas pulled it off as he defeated Istomin and booked his place in the next round.
#4 Gilles Simon vs. Paolo Lorenzi- 6-3, 2-6, 2-6, 7-6, 6-7 in 4 hours 58 minutes
Two veterans of the ATP, Paolo Lorenzi and Gilles Simon went head-to-head in the second round of 16 of the US Open, and the winner of the match was scheduled to face British professional Andy Murray in the third round of the event. Simon won the first set against the Italian professional before Lorenzi made a comeback and won the next two sets in a comfortable fashion.
Simon brought things to a level in the fourth set as he took the match into the final set Lorenzi finished it off in a fantastic finale to a thrilling encounter between the two players,
#3 Carlos Alcaraz vs. Jannik Sinner- 6-3, 6-7 (7-9), 6-7 (0-7), 7-5, 6-3 in 5 hours 15 minutes
In truly a match for the ages, 19-year-old Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz faced Italian youngster Jannik Sinner in the quarter-finals of the 2022 US Open. Both the players were in fantastic form coming into the tournament and both the players were the top contenders for going all the way to win the title as well.
But only one could emerge victorious as both of them faced each other, Alcaraz and Sinner battled in the second-longest match in US Open history which lasted over 5 hours, Alcaraz won the first set but Sinner made the comeback by winning the next two sets, but Alcaraz proved to be too tough to handle as he won the next two sets and the match in fabulous fashion as he made his way into the US Open semi-finals.
#2 Stefan Edberg vs. Michael Chang- 6-7, 7-5, 7-6, 5-7, 6-4 in 5 hours 26 minutes
In the longest match of US Open history, Swedish tennis legend, Stefan Edberg faced off against American former professional Michael Chang, the match that lasted for over 5 hours and 26 minutes lasted over 5 sets where Edberg emerged victorious in a truly thrilling encounter.
In the 1992, US Open semi-finals, Edberg and Chang faced each other with a chance to make their place into the finals of the tournament, the Swedish professional lost the opening set but made the comeback after winning the next two sets but Chang did not give up easily as he took the fourth set to the fame into the final set where Edberg emerged victorious.
#1 Daniel Evans vs. Karen Khachanov 6-7(6), 7-6(2), 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-4 in 5 hours and 35 minutes
Daniel Evans and Karen Khachanov first round clash at the 2024 US Open now holds the record for the longest match in the tournamernt’s history. Evans fought back from 0-4 down in the deciding set to win 6-7(6), 7-6(2), 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-4 in five hours and 35 minutes.
The match was heading towards history when Khachanov got a 4-0 lead in the final set and had four break points on Evans’ serve. However, he was unable to convert and this gave the Briton the momentum to bounce back. In the end, each set lasted more than an hour, with the third set being the longest at 72 minutes.
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Akshit Bhatnagar
(316 Articles Published)