Top 10 rivalries in tennis history

Every sport in the world has witnessed outstanding rivalries between teams or individuals vying for the top spot. Real Madrid vs Barcelona, Celtics vs Lakers, Senna vs Prost – the list is almost endless.Tennis presents a different proposition due to the amount of physical and mental strength it demands of the players. It is one sport where the duration of a match is not fixed; the longest tennis match lasted for 11 hours and 5 minutes between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut at the 2010 Wimbledon Championships.There have been so many fierce rivalries over the years that it is difficult to narrow down just 10 of them. Let us look at players who were involved in some classic rivalries over the years. We have considered their head-to-head records in Grand Slams, Masters 1000 events, and other tournaments along with the sheer longevity of their rivalry.

#10 Ivan Lendl vs Mats Wilander

Lendl and Wilander faced each other 22 times over a span of 14 years. The former dominated their rivalry,winning 15 of the contests.

Their first meeting was a memorable one in the quarterfinals of the 1982 French Open, with Wilander edging out Lendl in a 5-set thriller. The rivalry was a see-saw battleuntil the finals of the 1985 French Open where the Swedewon in 4 sets. Lendl dominated their next nine matches, winning 8.

The duo met each other in 9 Grand Slam matches and Lendl got the better of Wilander by the margin of 5-4. They also took on each other in 5 Grand Slam finals and Lendl won 3 of those. Although Wilander didnt show much of a fight during the latter stages of their rivalry, battling each other for a period of 12 years is no joke either!

Best match: 1988 US Open Final Mats Wilander beat Ivan Lendl64, 46, 63, 57, 64.