What is the longest match in US Open history? Dan Evans and Karen Khachanov set record in Flushing Meadows

At first glance, the clash between Dan Evans and 23rd seed Karen Khachanov in Round 1 did not cause much of a stir when the tournament schedule for the 2024 US Open was released.

When the two met on Court 6 at Flushing Meadows on Tuesday, few would have expected that they would face one of the longest matches in tournament history.

But that is exactly what the Englishman Evans and the Russian Khachanov managed to do, delivering a memorable five-set thriller that captivated viewers both on site and on national television.

Here’s everything you need to know about the longest match in US Open history, including how Evans and Khachanov set the record in a marathon contest.

MORE: Live tennis scores, full draw, table at Flushing Meadows

What is the longest match in US Open history?

Evans and Khachanov played a hard-fought five sets in Queens in front of a crowd that grew significantly as word of the marathon match spread. The match included three tiebreaks and lasted five hours and 35 minutes, setting the record for the longest match ever at a US Open tournament.

After losing the first set to Khachanov, Evans won the second and third sets, only to overtake the Russian again in the fourth set. It all came down to the fifth set to decide the winner after more than five hours of play had already passed.

The 34-year-old Brit won the match with a 40-second comeback after trailing 0-4 in the final set. Evans, ranked 184th in the world, did not expect to beat Khachanov, who is ranked in the top 25, but both players showed fighting spirit and resilience throughout the first-round clash.

5 HOURS AND 35 MINUTES!!!

Take a bow, Dan Evans and Karen Khachanov 👏 pic.twitter.com/noiPnkVDGU

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) 27 August 2024

In an interview with Sky Sports after the win, Evans said: “I just want to go to bed,” stressing the toll the game had taken on his body.

“I almost messed it up at the end, but I’m really happy,” he added. “It was an amazing game.”

MORE: Sloane Stephens loses to Clara Burel in epic US Open collapse

Longest games in US Open history

Tuesday’s clash is the first of the extremely long US Open matches and the fifth match at Flushing Meadows to reach the five-hour mark. Most notably, this year’s No. 1 and No. 3 seeds, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, played the third-longest match in tournament history just two years ago.

According to Sportskeeda, these are the longest games in the history of the US Open.