Editor’s note: The match was originally recorded and reported as 3:59, but as it was 3:59 and 44 seconds, it was officially rounded up to 4:00 later in the day.
Rafael Nadal just played the second-longest best-of-three-sets match of his career, and just like his longest one, he won it.
The Spaniard, who’s playing his first tournament since Roland Garros in Bastad, Sweden this week, battled past No. 36-ranked Mariano Navone in a four-hour marathon, 6-7 (2), 7-5, 7-5, to move through to the semifinals of the ATP 250 clay-court event.
It was just minutes away from becoming the longest best-of-three match of his career—that honor goes to his 3-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (9) victory over Novak Djokovic in the semifinals in Madrid in 2009, which lasted a ridiculous four hours and three minutes.
Both matches rank among the Top 5 longest best-of-three-sets ATP matches, since the ATP began recording match times in 1991.
LONGEST BEST-OF-THREE ATP MATCHES (since 1991):
4:26—Federer d. Del Potro in 2012 Olympics SFs, 3-6, 7-6, 19-17
4:03—Nadal d. Djokovic in 2009 Madrid SFs, 3-6, 7-6, 7-6
4:00—Nadal d. Navone in 2024 Bastad QFs, 6-7, 7-5, 7-5
3:59—Shang d. Moutet in 2024 Madrid 1st Rd, 6-7, 6-2, 7-6
3:57—Tsonga d. Raonic in 2012 Olympics 2nd Rd, 6-3, 3-6, 25-23
