Tennis dates all the way back to the 12th-century monasteries of northern France, although it was another 400 years before rackets were introduced. In England, it became a favorite pastime of such notables as King Henry VIII, and today is enjoyed by nearly 18 million people in the United States alone. The modern era has seen some remarkable records in the sport.

World Records in Tennis

Longest Match
On June 24, 2010, John Isner of the U.S. and Nicolas Mahut of France faced off at Wimbledon. Neither went on to win that year, but on that day they battled to a record-setting, 70-to-68 five-set tiebreaker that dragged on for a total of 11 hours and 5 minutes – the fifth set alone lasted more than 8 hours and 11 minutes. Time magazine named it one of the Top 10 Sports Moments of 2010.

Shortest Match
Jack Harper defeated J. Sanford at the 1946 Surrey Open in just 18 minutes. The shortest match in modern play came when Steffi Graf beat Natasha Zvereva at the 1988 French Open in 32 minutes.

Longest Volley
Most observers cite the 643-shot exchange between Vicky Nelson and Jean Hepner in Richmond, Virginia in October 1984. However, Guinness World Records gives the nod to Angelo & Ettore Rossetti, who exchanged an astonishing 30,576 shots at the Weston Racquet Club of Connecticut in August of 2015.

Fastest Serve
World records in tennis go back a long way. The fastest serve was thought to go to Bill Tilden in 1931 and was clocked at 182.2 mph. But given the technology of the time, it has drawn skeptics. The official record gives it to John Isner at the 2016 Davis Cup with 157.2 mph. For the ladies? The fastest recorded serve came from German-Polish Sabine Lisicki at the 2014 Stanford Classic, 131 mph.

US Open
Pete Sampras holds the record with six titles, but Jimmy Connors was the only one to win on three different court types: grass, clay and artificial turf. Chris Evert won the title on two court types, clay and turf. These are the only two players to win US Open titles on different surfaces.

Wimbledon
The most Wimbledon titles held? Pete Sampras and Roger Federer won seven each. However, they’re eclipsed by Martina Navratilova; she won 12.

An active lifestyle wouldn’t be the same without the chance to play this sport. Golden Ocala tennis facilities are exceptional. You’ll find six courts with the finest clay surfaces, Har-Tru-Hydro-Grid. The courts are lit for night play. If you’re looking for some competition you could join the day leagues. Beginners can take lessons at the club for a mentored introduction to one of the oldest and most popular sports.

To learn how easy and fun it is to take up this sport, contact one of Golden Ocala tennis professionals at 352-402-4351. You can get the latest updates by following Golden Ocala on Facebook or Twitter. Comment below with historical tidbits of your own about world records in tennis.