A tennis rally is a sequence of back-and-forth shots between players within a point. It is one of the most fun aspects of tennis to play and also to watch for. Since there is no limit to how many strokes can be played within a point, a rally can last from zero to an infinite number of strokes.
So, what is the longest rally in tennis history?
The longest tennis rally in history is 51,283 shots, lasting 12 hours by Simone Frediani and Daniele Pecci, recorded officially in the Guinness World Record. In the professional scene, the longest tennis rally was 643 shots by Vicki Nelson and Jean Hepner in the 1984 Virginia Slims Tournament.
Is this rally length common in tennis? What is the average rally length in tennis tournaments? Which professional players have the highest average rally length? Keep reading to find out more about these!
Table of Contents
Top Longest Tennis Rally in History
Most tennis rallies end in just 0-4 shots in professional tournaments. It is uncommon to see long rally strokes between two professionals competing for a championship.
However, tennis rallies can sometimes get super long depending on several conditions that we will discuss later in this article.
Here we take a look at history to know some of the longest rallies ever in tennis:
- Simone Frediani vs Daniele Pecci: Italy (2017)
This is the official longest tennis rally in history recorded by the Guinness World Record. Even though this event was not a competitive match and was solely designed to break the record of a tennis rally, it is still an impressive record to achieve.
This event took place in Italy in 2017, from around 6 in the morning and ended until 7 in the evening.
From this event, they managed to make a total of 51,283 strokes, which is by far still holds the record for the longest rally in tennis history.
- Vicki Nelson vs. Jean Hepner: Virginia Slims Tournament (1984)
This match is an icon in tennis history. Not only did they achieved the record of one of the longest tennis rallies of all time, but it is also one of the longest tennis matches of all time, with a total of over 6 hours!
This event recorded an epic 643 shots in one of the rallies that lasted about 30 minutes. In the end, Vicki Nelson secured the victory.
- Bjorn Borg vs Guillermo Vilas: French Open (1978)
This matchup was recorded as the longest rally in All Grand Slam Tournaments, with 86 total strokes between Bjorn Borg and Guillermo Vilas during the 1978 French Open.
The match lasted about three and a half hours, with Bjorn Borg claiming the victory.
- Nicolas Mahut vs Marcel Granollers: Davis Cup (2018)
This match featured an 84-shot rally between Nicolas Mahut and Marcel Granollers in the 2018 Davis Cup.
Marcel Granollers won in a decisive final tiebreak of 13-11.
- Gael Monfils vs Gilles Simon: Australian Open (2013)
The matchup of two Frenchmen, Gael Monfils and Gilles Simon, recorded one of the longest tennis rallies of 71 shots in the 2013 Australian Open. It is the highest tennis rally length in Australian Open history.
These two players also had multiple matches with long rallies against each other, with another noted one being a 60-shot rally in the 2011 Hamburg Open.
- Novak Djokovic vs. Rafael Nadal: U.S Open (2013)
This match features two of the best players of all time, Novak Djokovic & Rafael Nadal. Both of these players are also famous for their extensive rally abilities.
The event ended with a rally that lasted for a total of 54 shots, with Nadal winning his 13th Grand Slam title.
Combine this with the matchup experiences these two had against each other. It really was no surprise that a rally featuring both these players was able to last so long.
- Pete Sampras vs Andre Agassi: U.S Open (1997)
Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi are two of the most iconic legends in tennis. Their rivalry was among the best, if not the best, in their era. Their matchup during the 1997 U.S. Open was something that many fans looked forward to, and it did not disappoint.
This matchup resulted in one of the longest tennis rallies recorded in 51 shots, with Andre Agassi winning the tournament.
How Many Shots Are in a Tennis Rally on Average?
Looking at the statistics and data of today’s game, here is the breakdown (from Brain Game Tennis):
- A rally length of 0-4 shots is the most common. It happened about 70% of the time on average.
- A rally length of 5-8 shots occurred about 20% of the time.
- A rally length of more than 9 shots occurred about 10% of the time.
Top Tennis Players with the Highest Average Rally Length
Which tennis professional players are known to play long rallies?
Here, we are going to see the career statistics of the top 10 highest average rallies for men’s and women’s professionals.
Note that only players that played at least 100 matches will be included in the list for relevancy.
| Name | Matches Played | Average Rally Length |
| David Ferrer | 113 | 5 shots |
| Diego Schwartzman | 113 | 5 shots |
| Novak Djokovic | 479 | 4.8 shots |
| Daniil Medvedev | 231 | 4.8 shots |
| Rafael Nadal | 454 | 4.8 shots |
| Andy Murray | 277 | 4.7 shots |
| Lleyton Hewitt | 123 | 4.5 shots |
| Gael Monfils | 108 | 4.4 shots |
| Jannik Sinner | 122 | 4.4 shots |
| Alexander Zverev | 238 | 4.3 shots |
See this if you want to see more men’s rally length career leaders.
| Name | Matches Played | Average Rally Length |
| Caroline Wozniacki | 205 | 4.9 shots |
| Agnieszka Radwanska | 121 | 4.9 shots |
| Steffi Graf | 154 | 4.8 shots |
| Angelique Kerber | 157 | 4.7 shots |
| Elina Svitolina | 188 | 4.7 shots |
| Simona Halep | 475 | 4.6 shots |
| Victoria Azarenka | 135 | 4.2 shots |
| Garbine Muguruza | 140 | 4.1 shots |
| Ashleigh Barty | 125 | 4.0 shots |
| Maria Sharapova | 134 | 3.9 shots |
See this if you want to see more women’s rally length career leaders.
Longest Rally in Grand Slam Tournaments
French Open
The longest tennis rally in the French Open was an 86-shot rally between Bjorn Borg and Guillermo Vilas during the 1978 French Open tournament.
This is officially recorded as the longest rally in all Grand Slam Tournaments and has not been beaten by multiple decades.
Australian Open
The longest tennis rally in the Australian Open was a 71 shots rally between two Frenchmen, Gilles Simon and Gael Monfils.
The match happened in the third round of the 2013 Australian Open.
U.S Open
The iconic Novak Djokovic vs. Rafael Nadal 54 shots match in the U.S Open 2013 held this record for the U.S Open for quite a while. This record was beaten in 2022 by Casper Ruud and Karen Khacahnov by 1 shot.
The current longest tennis rally in the U.S. Open was a 55-shot rally between Casper Ruud and Karen Khachanov, achieved in the 2022 semi-final of the U.S. Open.
Wimbledon
The longest tennis rally in Wimbledon was a 45-shot rally between Novak Djokovic and Robert Bautista Agut in the semifinal match of the Wimbledon 2019.
Djokovic won the match 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 to advance to the finals.
What Influences the Length of Tennis Rallies: Why Some Rallies Last So Long?
If we know that the average rally length is just 0-4 shots, why can some rallies go to hundreds of strokes?
Here are several factors that influence the length of tennis rallies:
Playing Style
Some tennis players love to play long rallies when competing against an equally competitive opponent.
One good example is Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal being in the top 10 players with the highest average rally length.
Their matchup during the 2013 U.S. Open has one of the longest rally length in tennis, totaling 54 shots.
Here is a list of 10 players who love to play long rallies as their playstyle:
- David Ferrer
- Diego Schwartzman
- Caroline Wozniacki
- Agnieszka Radwanska
- Novak Djokovic
- Rafael Nadal
- Daniel Medvedev
- Steffi Graf
- Andy Murray
- Angelique Kerber
Weather & Temperature
A hotter weather promotes a faster ball than cold and wet weather conditions. Therefore, rallies can finish much faster in hot weather.
The weather can also affect the physical conditions of players. Players tend to get exhausted more in extreme weather temperatures. This results in fewer rally shots being taken as well.
Due to this, tennis matches being held at night also lead to longer rallies and match lengths compared to daytime matches.
Court Surface
The court’s surface is one of the most critical factors affecting the length of a tennis match. And, naturally, rally length will be affected as well.
Clay courts generally result in longer rally lengths due to slower ball movements.
In contrast, grass courts produce the fastest rallies and overall match lengths. Hard court is the middle ground.
See here if you want to see the breakdown difference in average match length on court surfaces.
Ball Conditions
The conditions of tennis balls can also affect the length of rallies. Tennis balls can wear down, fluff up, and become heavier after a few games of being used.
A ball that is fluffing up will make it slower through the air and can result in a longer rally length.
The quality and age of the balls are also important. Different tournaments can use balls with various attributes from each other, impacting the length of rallies in a match.
For example, Dunlop balls are softer than other balls. Due to the nature of softer balls, hitting a winner will be more challenging, leading to longer rally length.
Tennis data analyst, Craig O’Shannessy, who has worked with Novak Djokovic explained these factors affecting rally length in more details in his interview.
Wrapping Up
Throughout history, there are many mind-blowing records about tennis. Since there is no limit to rallies, many conditions can prolong the length of rallies, as discussed in this article.
One of the many famous ones is the longest rally, which reaches 51,283 strokes in the Guinness World Record. Even in the professional scene, the longest rally reached 643 shots.
Do you think this record will be broken someday?
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