Ranking the 10 greatest tennis matches of all time

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.

If you think you’ve spotted the next Ivanisevic, you can get great odds at some of the best betting sites Canada has to offer.

#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.