Isner vs Mahut: Remembering the longest match in Wimbledon history

John Isner and Nicolas Mahut played out the longest match in tennis history on Wimbledon’s Court 18 between 22 and 24 June 2010.

Their first-round encounter stretched over three days, lasting an 11 hours and 5 minutes, and set records that still stand today.

Isner eventually came through 6-4, 3-6, 6-7, 7-6, 70-68, in a contest that has become part of Wimbledon history.

How John Isner and Nicolas Mahut made Wimbledon history

The match began quietly on Tuesday, 22 June, without any sense of what was to come. Isner took the opening set 6-4, before Mahut levelled by taking the second 6-3.

Mahut then edged ahead by claiming the third in a tie-break, but Isner hit back by winning the fourth in another tie-break.

At two sets apiece, the match was already tightly balanced, but no one could have predicted how long it would take to decide the winner.

Light stopped play before the fifth set could begin, and when they returned the next day, the match entered uncharted territory.

The final set carried on deep into Wednesday evening, with neither player able to break the other’s serve. At 59-59, play was halted again as darkness fell.

It was not until Thursday that Isner finally broke through, taking the deciding set 70-68 after more than eight hours of play in the final set alone.

Why the longest match in tennis will not happen again under current rules

The numbers from Isner vs Mahut make it clear why the match stands apart. It lasted over 11 hours, included 183 games, and saw 138 games in the final set alone.

Isner served 113 aces to Mahut’s 103, for a combined total of 216.

The match became a cultural moment as well as a sporting one. It was the kind of contest that seemed to consume the tournament, drawing in players, fans, and officials as the score moved higher.

One memorable line from the live coverage summed up the mood: “Let it end, let it end, it’s 46-all.”

Wimbledon has since called it a record that will probably never be broken, and the rulebook now explains why.

In 2019, Wimbledon introduced a final-set tie-break at 12-12, following another marathon involving Isner against Kevin Anderson the previous year.

Grand Slam tournaments later agreed on a shared rule, now using a 10-point tie-break at 6-6 in the final set.

That means a 70-68 fifth set cannot happen under current Grand Slam rules. The Isner vs Mahut match remains a record not just because of its length, but because tennis has changed since it happened.

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