Isner and Mahut finish Wimbledon's 70–68 final set
On 24 June 2010, John Isner defeated Nicolas Mahut in a Wimbledon first-round match that had begun two days earlier. The fifth set ended 70–68, and the match's recorded playing time reached 11 hours and 5 minutes.
An ordinary place in the draw
John Isner of the United States and Nicolas Mahut of France met in the first round of the men's singles at Wimbledon in June 2010. Their match was played on Court 18, rather than the tournament's principal show court. They began on 22 June and split the first four sets. Fading light stopped play, setting up a resumption the following day. Guinness World Records records the three-day sequence and distinguishes the eventual playing time from the much longer elapsed calendar interval.
Why the final set continued
Under the rules used for this match, there was no tiebreak in the deciding fifth set. A player needed a two-game lead to win it. Both men repeatedly held serve, so an even score could continue far beyond six games apiece. Darkness interrupted them again with the fifth set tied at 59–59. This was not a succession of additional sets: it was one set growing to an extraordinary length. The contemporary Associated Press report identifies strong serving and the absent tiebreak as the central combination.
The finish on 24 June
They returned on 24 June and played another twenty games. Isner eventually broke Mahut's serve to complete a 70–68 fifth set and win the match. The total recorded playing time reached 11 hours and 5 minutes, spread across three days of play. Wimbledon's official statistical compendium records the dates, score and duration. These numbers refer to measured play, not an uninterrupted eleven-hour session on the final day.
A shared achievement
The conclusion brought an embrace across the net and recognition of both players' endurance. One striking detail in the contemporary report is that Mahut won more points overall, yet lost the match: tennis awards sets and games rather than simply adding every point together. The contest illustrates how rules and closely matched strengths can create an improbable sporting outcome. The illustration interprets the players' mutual respect at the finish. It is not a photograph or a frame taken from the match broadcast.
Wimbledon Theme – Northern Television Orchestra
Northern Television Orchestra
The orchestra's later lockdown performance of a Wimbledon television theme evokes the tournament's broadcast culture. It is a separate musical performance, not audio from the 2010 match.
Listen on SoundCloud ↗Follow the evidence.
- Associated Press via Tennis.com: Isner beats Mahut 70–68 ↗
- Guinness World Records: Longest Wimbledon singles match ↗
- Wimbledon official compendium: The longest match ↗
AI-assisted writing, with institutional and primary sources. Illustration is a reconstruction, not an archival photograph. Published October 31, 2026; updated October 31, 2026. Our approach
