With men’s singles matches played in a best-of-five-sets format at grand slam tournaments, there has been no shortage of marathon encounters.
The Australian Open has had its share of lengthy battles, including some iconic late-night finals on Rod Laver Arena.
The Sporting News has a look at the longest-ever matches at Melbourne Park.
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Longest Australian Open match
The longest match in Australian Open history was a memorable one.
In the 2012 men’s singles final, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal played for a total of five hours and 53 minutes.
Considered one of the greatest tennis matches of all time, Djokovic prevailed 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-7(5) 7-5.
The final concluded at 1:37 am local time, with both players struggling to stay on their feet during the on-court presentation.
10 years later, Nadal found himself in another epic five-set decider on Rod Laver Arena, where he fought with Daniil Medvedev for five hours and 24 minutes – the third-longest match in Australian Open history.
On that occasion, however, he emerged victorious, winning 2-6 6-7(5) 6-4 6-4 7-5.
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Longest Australian Open women’s match
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