Tennis is a widely enjoyed sport, and for a good reason. Between the stakes of the matches, the star-quality players that take to court, and the emotional drama that comes with a match well (or poorly) played, the sport has a way of etching itself into the minds of both passive onlookers and enthusiastic fans. Though the greatest match to happen varies on opinion, the following are certainly memorable enough to stick in the minds of fans years after their occurrence.
Serena Williams versus Venus Williams (2003) The Williams sisters brought a new definition to “sibling rivalry” when they faced off against one another for the fourth grand slam in a row during the 2003 Australian Open. The sisters were able to match one another throughout the match, with Serena winning the first set and Venus winning the second set. The third set was the determiner, ending in a 6-4 win for Serena.
Monica Seles versus Steffi Graf (1993) In 1993, the rivalry between Monica Seles and Steffi Graf was reknown among tennis fans and took on an intensity that no one could have expected. Seles had won six of the seven Grand Slam events before entering the Australian Open, effectively displacing Graf as the number one player at the time. The two played against one another at the Paris Open the year prior, where Seles won against Graf by 10-8 in the third set, and both brought their A-game to the Australian Open. Seles won that match—her third straight Australian Open title at the age of 19—but a few months later, a fan of Graf stabbed her while at a tournament in Germany. This caused her to miss the next ten Grand Slam events, though she returned for her ninth and final Grand Slam at the Australian Open in 1996.
Novak Djokovic versus Rafael Nadal (2012) The match between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal at the 2012 Australian Open was unforgettable. The two men were considered the best tennis players in the world at the time. While they played against one another, they both exerted themselves both physically and emotionally. The match lasted for nearly six hours and ended at 1:37 am, taking the record for the longest Grand Slam final in history by almost an hour. In the end, Djokovic came out victorious after twelve games of tennis, saving a breakpoint against Nadal and holding serve until the end of the match.
Tennis is a widely enjoyed sport, and for a good reason. Between the stakes of the matches, the star-quality players that take to court, and the emotional drama that comes with a match well (or poorly) played, the sport has a way of etching itself into the minds of both passive onlookers and enthusiastic fans. Though the greatest match to happen varies on opinion, the following are certainly memorable enough to stick in the minds of fans years after their occurrence.
Serena Williams versus Venus Williams (2003) The Williams sisters brought a new definition to “sibling rivalry” when they faced off against one another for the fourth grand slam in a row during the 2003 Australian Open. The sisters were able to match one another throughout the match, with Serena winning the first set and Venus winning the second set. The third set was the determiner, ending in a 6-4 win for Serena.
Monica Seles versus Steffi Graf (1993) In 1993, the rivalry between Monica Seles and Steffi Graf was reknown among tennis fans and took on an intensity that no one could have expected. Seles had won six of the seven Grand Slam events before entering the Australian Open, effectively displacing Graf as the number one player at the time. The two played against one another at the Paris Open the year prior, where Seles won against Graf by 10-8 in the third set, and both brought their A-game to the Australian Open. Seles won that match—her third straight Australian Open title at the age of 19—but a few months later, a fan of Graf stabbed her while at a tournament in Germany. This caused her to miss the next ten Grand Slam events, though she returned for her ninth and final Grand Slam at the Australian Open in 1996.
Novak Djokovic versus Rafael Nadal (2012) The match between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal at the 2012 Australian Open was unforgettable. The two men were considered the best tennis players in the world at the time. While they played against one another, they both exerted themselves both physically and emotionally. The match lasted for nearly six hours and ended at 1:37 am, taking the record for the longest Grand Slam final in history by almost an hour. In the end, Djokovic came out victorious after twelve games of tennis, saving a breakpoint against Nadal and holding serve until the end of the match.
