Throughout the history of tennis there have been some fantastic matches played. Given how long professional tennis has been around, it’s quite the task to narrow down all the best matches ever played to a definitive top 10–but that’s exactly what we have tried to do here.
Remember, these rankings are a personal opinion; if you have a different top 10, feel free to leave your suggestions below!
#10 Cochet vs. Tilden 1927 Wimbledon semifinals
This was looking like a run-of-the-mill victory for then-favorite Tilden, as the 34-year-old held a commanding lead over the Frenchman on the way to what would have been his third consecutive Wimbledon final. At one point, he was even leading 6-2, 6-4, 5-1! However, Cochet found something deep inside him and won 17 points in a row to get back into the match. He won the next six games to win the third set and ended up taking the next two sets 6-4, 6-3 to reach the final.
#9 Ivanisevic vs. Rafter 2001 Wimbledon final
Not many people had expected Invaisevic to even play in Wimbledon, let alone reach the final! As he was ranked 125th in the world, he didn’t qualify for the main draw but did make it in as a wild card. Few would have put money on him making it as far as he did, as it would have been outlandish to bet on a wild card to wn the whole tournament. However, that’s what Ivanisevic did–as he somehow reached the final before beating Rafter in five sets to claim his first and only Grand Slam title. He is also the first and only player to win Wimbledon as a wild card.
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#8 Isner vs. Mahut 2010 Wimbledon first round
While some people might not think this was the highest-quality match of all time, it’s certainly the greatest in terms of length. The match lasted 11 hours and five minutes over three days and is by far the longest match ever played. The fifth set alone would hold that record, as it took 138 games and over eight hours to finish!
#7 Laver vs. Roche 1969 U.S. Open final
This is the first match on our list that wasn’t played at Wimbledon. This wasn’t the best quality match ever played, but instead has been chosen for what it represents — and what it represents is the total domination of Rod Laver. Beating Tony Roche in this tournament sealed his second calendar-year Grand Slam and he is still the only player to win all four major titles in the same season.
#6 Ashe vs. Connors 1975 Wimbledon final
Connors was the overwhelming favourite coming into this match, with many fans expecting him to win in straight sets. However, Ashe handled his game well and frustrated Connors on his way to becoming Wimbledon’s first and only African-American winner.
#5 Evert vs. Navratilova 1985 French Open final
Evert and Navratilova played eighty games against each other over the course of their long careers, but this one is arguably the best. Evert won a topsy-turvy match on a tense day, when she was even 0-40 down at 5-5 in the third set. However, she rallied back and won the game before breaking Navratilova’s serve to close out the 12th game of the set and the match.
#4 Sampras vs. Agassi 2001 U.S. Open quarterfinals
The two most dominant players of their era with wildly different approaches to the game always gave us a good match, but many consider their quarterfinal clash at the 2001 U.S. Open to be their pinnacle. Both were slightly past their peak at the time, but they put on a real show for the fans–with all four sets going to tiebreakers. However, Sampras’ big serve helped see him through; there were no breaks of serve over the course of the entire match!
#3 Federer vs. Roddick 2009 Wimbledon final
In many minds Federer is the greatest player of all time, but no one could have begrudged him if he lost this match. He was up against a man possessed in Roddick, someone who never could seem to beat the unflappable Swiss. Roddick came mightily close in this match, winning the most games in a Wimbledon final by a losing player (39) and only dropping serve once. Unfortunately, Federer always seemed to have an answer–and it was he who would go on to claim the title.
#2 Borg vs. McEnroe 1980 Wimbledon final
This match pitted the fiery McEnroe against the ice man Borg in a battle of ideologies; McEnroe played an all-out attacking style, whereas Borg would wait for the points to come to him. McEnroe won the first set before Borg took the next two and had two championship points in the third set. Despite stealing the fourth-set tiebreaker 18-16, Borg went on to win the fifth set for his fifth consecutive Wimbledon title.
#1 Nadal vs. Federer 2008 Wimbledon final
Throughout their illustrious careers, Federer and Nadal have played some stunning matches against each other–but this one will remain their greatest-ever match. Both were at the height of their careers and despite Nadal being thought of as a clay specialist at the time he took the first two sets 6-4. However, Federer fought back–even saving championship points in the fourth set to level the match at 2-2. During a fifth set in which both looked like they could win, Nadal eventually emerged as a 9-7 winner to break Federer’s Wimbledon winning streak and win the longest final the venue had ever seen.
thoughts?
I agree with no 1 ofcourse. But I think the Australian open final this year should be in it. I don’t know what isner and mahut are doing there, that match was a boring travesty.
Agree about Isner/Mahut! A yawn fest.
Agree 1 and 2. Don’t remember many others and don’t tend to watch repeats.
Isner and Mahut shouldn’t be here.
I don’t think Fed Roddick should be either. It was an exciting match but it wasn’t high quality. I remember Becker commentating that day and saying Fed wasn’t playing well. That’s why it was close. Federer Djokovic wimby 2019 was much higher quality and has a good argument to be there.
AO Rafole 2012 deserves a shout out as does RafoleRG 2013.
Rafole wimby 2018 was very very high quality. If it was a final it surely would be there.
Also Djokovic has to be on the list somewhere. All 3 of the big 3 should be there. They have all been part of countless great matches.
Capriati Vs Henin, US Open 2003 SF match should be in Top 5
Federer vs Nadal AO 2017 was the best tennis match i ever watched, i have no idea why u didnt get it into ranking
I’m not qualified to judge great matches. I will say that for me personally Wimbledon 2008 was the greatest I ever saw or hope to see.
Mahut-Isner was certainly NOT great tennis but there was something compelling about it.
Definitely agree with #2 and #1….but honestly don’t know enough, or remember enough, torank the others!!
Great list – so many others could have made it … a few AO choices come to mind – – Nadal/Verdasco . . .
Ivanisevic v Rafter wasn’t one of the greatest. I was very underwhelmed by Rafter’s performance in that match and thought he lost a sense of the moment and let a great opportunity slip away.
I’d have one of Marat Safin’s matches in that list, probably Safin v Federer in the AO final. Safin knew how to redline and go to a really high level.
Hard do argue the 2008 Wimbledon final wasn’t one of the greatest or the greatest. I remember the call with Newcombe, Woodforde and Woodbridge, they were in a zone and couldn’t believe what they were witnessing.
Djokovic and Nadal had so many great contests in the majors and at masters level circa 2010 and during Djokovic’s dominant win streak.
Bit difficult to rank the greatest matches of all time. The last 15-20 years might be achievable.
Ivanisevic v Rafter wasn’t one of the greatest. I was very underwhelmed by Rafter’s performance in that match and thought he lost a sense of the moment and let a great opportunity slip away. The crowd was so noisy it didnt feel like a traditional Wimbledon final.
I’d have one of Marat Safin’s matches on that list, probably Safin v Federer in in the AO final. Safin knew how to redline and go to a really high level.
Hard to argue the 2008 Wimbledon final wasn’t one of the greatest or the greatest. I remember the call with Newcombe, Woodforde and Woodbridge, they couldn’t believe what they were witnessing.
Djokovic and Nadal had many incredible matches in the majors and at masters level circa 2010 and during Djokovic’s win streak.
It’s hard to pinpoint which ones were the best because there’s been so many incredible matches over the past 20 years. If you look at the h2h between the top 10 players of the past 20 years there’s so many classics there where only a couple of mistakes at critical moments determined the outcome.
And not only that, some of the best matches were between lower ranked players mid-way through an event where both players are playing lights out tennis.
I think it was the match in Miami that was the one of the best I’ve seen. Two players at the very top of their game. If you can find it, its definately worth another watch.
2011 ATP Masters 1000 Miami FL, Novak Djokovic 46 63 764
2011 ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells, Novak Djokovic 46 63 62
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eY_-0UzjKqk
I think Roddick deserved to win that final, I felt sorry for him. That was the only Fed’s final when he won and I still had a bitter taste. It’s not that he didn’t deserve to win. Come on…he hit so many winners to save himself, Roddick was absolutely at his best, throwing everything at the Swiss. I would just swap that title for the one vs Djoko in 2019.
I think Djoko vs Rafa 5 set AO final deserves to be there.
Wimbledon final between Djokovic vs Federer in 2019 is definitely a top 3 if not the best final ever
Tilden, convicted p . . o?!
Wimby 2019.
I didn’t think Federwr was at his best in either 2008 or 9 finals but no denying how tense they were
But fir me , nothing compares with the Borg- McEnroe 1980
Come on Ricky…
Come on Ricky…Come on. Not one Djokovic battle is a crime.
these aren’t my rankings
Soderling v Nadal 2009
Djokovic v Nadal at RG
Wawrinka v Djokovic 2015
Murray and Djokovic also has some really good tussles.
Some of the best matches of the modern era weren’t close. One player simply came out and played the match of his life.
Kuerten comes to mind, the Spanish players at RG before Nadal arrived and about 100 other matches. It’s an injustice not to include them all but there is too many to list.
Federer Nadal Wimbledon final 2008,has to be ranked up there as been one of the greatest finals ever
Have to say the Nadal Djokovic rivalry is beginning to grate on me to be honest, I don’t go all woop de door, like everyone else sorry 🙄