The 9 longest matches of Andy Murray’s career as ‘man of steel’ calls time on singles career

It is 1,001 and out for Andy Murray in terms of singles matches played during his tennis career as he has officially played his last-ever singles match, but care to guess the duration of his longest-ever match?

Murray is one of only 19 players in the Open Era to notch up 1,000 singles matches and – in case you didn’t know – he won his 1,000th match as he defeated Alexei Popyrin in three sets in the first round of the Queen’s Club Championship in June.

Technically, Murray won his last completed match against Popyrin as he then retired in his next encounter against Jordan Thompson due to injury with that problem forcing him to miss Wimbledon.

Of the 1,001 matches Murray played, he ended up on the winning side on 739 occasions while he lost 262 times for an impressive 73.8% win-loss record.

But let’s not get distracted with those stats as this is about Murray’s longest-ever singles matches and he was once referred to as a “man of steel” by Great Britain’s Davis Cup captain Leon Smith.

Two of those 1,001 matches took more than five hours to complete while 16 matches lasted more than four hours.

His five-hour and four-hour matches were all five-setters while his longest three-set match – against Frances Tiafoe in Antwerp in 2021 – was three hours and 45 minutes.

The 9 longest matches of Andy Murray’s career:

9. Four hours and 39 minutes

Sadly for Murray, his marathon encounter against Yoshihito Nishioka was played in front of no fans due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but they gave those watching on TV plenty of entertainment.

Murray looked down and out after finding himself a break down in the third set after losing the opening two sets, but emerged with a 4-6, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 victory having saved one match point in the fourth set.

“They have an ice bath in the locker room and they said it was for emergencies,” Murray said after the win.

“For me this is an emergency right now. I’ll ask and see if they’ll allow me to use the ice bath. If not I’ll try to get back to the hotel as quickly as I can.”

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8. Four hours and 40 minutes

After dropping only four games in his first-round win at Wimbledon 2023, Murray found himself on the court for nearly five hours in the second round against Stefanos Tsitsipas in a match that was played over two days.

Murray looked to be on course for victory when he took a two-set to-one lead 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (7-2), 6-4, but they then hit the 11pm curfew and play was halted for the day and Tsitsipas completed the comeback victory as he took the two remaining sets 7-6 (7-3), 6-4.

7. Four hours and 49 minutes

Two years before their Wimbledon encounter, Murray and Tsitsipas were also involved in a humdinger at the 2021 US Open with the Greek also winning the match.

Tsitsipas once again came back from two sets to one down as he ran out 2-6, 7-6 (9-7), 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, but it was a frosty encounter between the two as Murray revealed afterwards that he “lost respect” for his opponent over what he thought was tactical breaks.

Tsitsipas’ two bathroom breaks lasted longer than seven minutes and the Greek also received a medical time-out.

“It’s just disappointing because I feel it influenced the outcome of the match,” the former world No 1 said. “I’m not saying I necessarily win that match, for sure, but it had influence on what was happening after those breaks.

“I rate him a lot. I think he’s a brilliant player. I think he’s great for the game, but I have zero time for that stuff at all and I lost respect for him.”

6. Four hours and 49 minutes

The 2023 Australian Open was a marathon one for Andy Murray as his opening two matches went the distance. The first was against Matteo Berrettini in the opening round as it was just 11 minutes shy of the five-hour mark.

Murray eventually won 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-7 (7-9), 7-6 (8-6) after saving one match point in the fifth set.

5. Four hours and 50 minutes

The 2012 season was a happy one for Andy Murray as he won his maiden Grand Slam at the US Open and also won Olympic gold at the London Games.

He reached the semi-final of the Australian Open, but ran into Novak Djokovic and they slugged it out for almost five hours before the Serbian won 3–6, 6–3, 7–6 (7–4), 1–6, 5–7.

=3. Four hours and 54 minutes

Murray got his revenge over Djokovic at the US Open as he defeated the Serbian in the final at Flushing Meadows to win his first-ever major with the match taking nearly five hours to complete.

With his 7–6 (12–10), 7–5, 2–6, 3–6, 6–2 victory, Murray became the first British man in 76 years to win a Grand Slam singles title.

After losing his first four Grand Slam finals, the Scot finally got over the line stating: “Relief is probably the best word I would use to describe how I’m feeling just now,” Murray said, adding: “You do think: Is it ever going to happen?”

=3. Four hours and 54 minutes

Four years after winning his maiden Grand Slam, Murray again took four hours and 54 minutes to complete a match and this time it was in the Davis Cup.

Great Britain faced Japan in the first round of the World Group stage in March and Murray took on Kei Nishikori.

The outcome was a 7-5, 7-6 (8-6), 3-6, 4-6, 6-3 win for Murray as Great Britain won the tie 3-1.

“I am lost for words at this stage; he is a man of steel, isn’t he?” GB captain Leon Smith said. “What Andy managed to do was astonishing since he hasn’t played since the Australian Open final.”

2. Five hours and seven minutes

The first-ever five-hour match of Murray’s career also took place in 2016 during the Davis Cup and this time the former world No 1 finished on the losing side as Juan Martin del Potro led Argentina to victory.

Weeks after Murray beat Del Potro in the Olympic final, the Argentine won 6-4, 5-7, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-4

“I did great today. I’m very proud of how I fought, I did fantastic. I fought for every point, tried as best as I could. That’s all you can do,” Murray said.

“It was very fine margins. That happens in tennis and sport sometimes. It could have gone either way and he just played a little bit better in the fifth set.”

1. Five hours and 45 minutes

After spending four hours and 49 minutes on court to defeat Berrettini in the first round of the 2023 Australian Open, Murray returned for more drama a couple of days later.

This time he outlasted Thanasi Kokkinakis 4-6, 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-5), 6-3, 7-5 in five hours and 45 minutes in a match that finished 4:05 local time. It remains the second-longest match in the history of the Australian Open.

But Murray was unimpressed by the late finish, saying: “I don’t know who it’s beneficial for,” Murray said. “We come here after the match and that’s what the discussion is, rather than it being like, ‘epic Murray-Kokkinakis match’ – it ends in a bit of a farce.

“Amazingly people stayed until the end, and I really appreciate people doing that and creating an atmosphere for us. Some people obviously need to work the following day and everything.

“But if my child was a ball kid for a tournament and they’re coming home at five in the morning, as a parent, I’m snapping at that. It’s not beneficial for them; It’s not beneficial for the umpires, the officials; I don’t think it’s amazing for the fans; It’s not good for the players.”