Tennis · 2012 · Melbourne, Australia
The Longest Grand Slam Final
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal play for nearly six hours in the longest Grand Slam final in history, both men needing chairs to stand for the trophy ceremony.
Djokovic def. Nadal, 7-5 in the 5th
Result
5 hours 53 minutes (record)
Match length
1:37am local time
Finish time
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, the world's top two ranked players, met in the 2012 Australian Open final in a match that swung back and forth across five full sets, each man landing significant blows without either able to pull decisively clear.
Djokovic eventually won 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7, 7-5, in a match that finished at 1:37am local time after five hours and fifty-three minutes on court, the longest Grand Slam final ever played by duration. Both players were so physically drained afterward that tournament organisers brought chairs onto the court for the trophy presentation rather than have them stand.
The match capped one of the most intense stretches of rivalry tennis has produced, part of a run of finals between the two men that redefined how physically demanding the modern game could be at its highest level, and remains the standard reference point whenever a match is described as an ordeal of endurance as much as a tennis contest.
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