Wimbledon
Greatest Wimbledon Tennis Matches: The All-Time Highs At SW19
Wimbledon has delivered enough drama to fill a whole championship history lesson, but a few matches sit in a different bracket – William Hill News look back at the greatest Wimbledon tennis matches of all time.
Roger Federer against Rafael Nadal in 2008 is the one many fans still call the purest grass-court classic, while Murray’s win over Djokovic in 2013 changed the mood on Centre Court and in Britain for good.
What is the greatest Wimbledon match ever?
Federer vs Nadal in the 2008 Wimbledon final is the match most often treated as the greatest Wimbledon contest ever. It combined elite shot-making, two rain delays, five sets, and a finish that still feels unreal to anyone who watched it live.
The final lasted just under five hours and ended 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5-7), 6-7(8-10), 9-7 for Nadal, who finished the job after Federer saved championship points in the fourth set and came within two points of a sixth straight title.
Top 10 Greatest Wimbledon Matches
While there’s much to debate for the greatest Wimbledon matches ever – especially if you broaden the view to beyond just the singles tournaments – some stick in the mind more than most.
These are those top ten matches that continue to be cited among the very best Wimbledon has ever seen – will a Wimbledon 2026 contest join the list in the coming weeks?
2024 Wimbledon Semi-Final: Donna Vekić vs Jasmine Paolini
Donna Vekić vs Jasmine Paolini was one of the most emotionally charged Wimbledon matches in recent memory. Paolini won 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(10-8) in 2 hours and 51 minutes, the longest women’s semi-final in Wimbledon history.
Vekić was hampered by an arm injury and still pushed the contest to a tense final-set tie-break, while Paolini showed the kind of running, fighting style that turns a crowd quickly from interested to fully invested.
2023 Wimbledon Final: Carlos Alcaraz vs Novak Djokovic
Carlos Alcaraz vs Novak Djokovic in the 2023 final is already part of Wimbledon folklore. Alcaraz won 1-6, 7-6(8-6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 to claim his first Wimbledon title and end Djokovic’s run of Centre Court dominance.
The third set produced the longest game in Wimbledon history, lasting 27 minutes, with 32 points and 13 deuces before Alcaraz finally edged it.
2019 Wimbledon Final: Roger Federer vs Novak Djokovic
Roger Federer vs Novak Djokovic in 2019 delivered the kind of tension only Wimbledon can create. Djokovic saved two championship points in the fifth set and won 7-6(5), 1-6, 7-6(4), 4-6, 13-12(3) after a fifth-set tie-break, becoming champion in one of the most brutal finals ever played on Centre Court.
Federer had the match on a knife-edge for long stretches and looked close to a record-breaking ninth title, which is why the result still hurts for his fans and thrills everyone else in equal measure.
To unseat Jannik Sinner as the Wimbledon favourite, Djokovic might need to, once again, pull out one of Wimbledon’s finest showings.
2013 Wimbledon Final: Andy Murray vs Novak Djokovic
Andy Murray vs Novak Djokovic in the 2013 final remains one of the most important Wimbledon matches ever played. Murray won 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 to end Britain’s 77-year wait for a home men’s singles champion.
The match mattered beyond the scoreline because it turned a long-running national frustration into a Centre Court release that felt almost physical when Djokovic’s final backhand missed the mark. In 2026, the men’s singles Wimbledon odds favour another return to the top for Djokovic over a British champion.
2010 Wimbledon First Round: John Isner vs Nicolas Mahut
John Isner vs Nicolas Mahut is still the most extreme Wimbledon match ever in terms of sheer duration. Isner won 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(7-9), 7-6(7-3), 70-68 after 11 hours and 5 minutes across three days, with the fifth set alone becoming tennis’s most famous endurance test.
The match produced 183 games and turned a first-round fixture into an all-time sporting event. It was absurd, exhausting and unforgettable, which is exactly why it belongs on any serious Wimbledon greatest-hits list.
2008 Wimbledon Final: Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal
Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal in 2008 is the benchmark for quality and drama together. Nadal won 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5-7), 6-7(8-10), 9-7 after a match that stretched deep into the evening and showcased both players at their peak.
Federer saved two championship points in the fourth set, Nadal kept his nerve through the fading light and rain interruptions, and the match finished with the kind of momentum swing that made Centre Court feel like it was tilting.
2005 Wimbledon Final: Venus Williams vs Lindsay Davenport
Venus Williams vs Lindsay Davenport in the 2005 final is one of the best women’s finals Wimbledon has produced. Williams won 4-6, 7-6(4), 9-7 in a match decided by resilience as much as power.
Davenport was one point away from victory at 6-5 in the second-set tie-break and later came close again in the deciding set, but Williams kept finding answers in the biggest moments.
2001 Wimbledon Final: Goran Ivanišević vs Pat Rafter
Goran Ivanišević vs Pat Rafter had the scriptwriters working overtime. Ivanišević, ranked No. 125 and in the draw only because of a wildcard, won 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 2-6, 9-7 to complete one of Wimbledon’s most unlikely title runs.
He had already beaten Carlos Moyá, Andy Roddick, Marat Safin, and Tim Henman before reaching the final, so the trophy felt like the reward for every last bit of belief he had left.
1980 Wimbledon Final: Björn Borg vs John McEnroe
Björn Borg vs John McEnroe in 1980 is the final that defined the rivalry for a generation. Borg won 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7(16-18), 8-6 after McEnroe saved five match points in the fourth-set tie-break and then forced a fifth-set classic.
Borg responded by winning 19 straight points on serve in the decider, which is the sort of detail that keeps a final alive in tennis memory long after the trophy ceremony ends.
1970 Wimbledon Final: Margaret Courts vs Billie Jean King
Margaret Court vs Billie Jean King in the 1970 final was a landmark women’s match at Wimbledon. Court won 14-12, 11-9 in straight sets, and the scoreline alone tells you how fiercely contested it was.
King’s battle with Court helped shape the modern story of women’s tennis at Wimbledon, where pressure, precision and nerve mattered every bit as much as reputation.
The ladies’ Wimbledon singles odds imply a very close race for the title, and one that could forge an almighty final that could rival the greats on this list.
The Wimbledon match that stays with people
The greatest Wimbledon match ever depends on what you value most. If you want the highest level of shot-making, Federer vs Nadal in 2008 is the one. If you want emotional weight and historic consequence, Murray vs Djokovic in 2013 makes a very strong case.
If you want chaos, endurance and a result that feels almost impossible, Isner vs Mahut wins the argument. Wimbledon keeps delivering those moments because every point on Centre Court seems to carry more history than the last.
With the 2026 Wimbledon Championships dates set, all eyes will be on the on-court action and hopefully this year’s competition lives up to the billing.
*Odds subject to change – prices accurate at the time of writing*
