Best Comebacks in Tennis History: Iconic Matches

Goran Ivanisevic of Croatia//Getty Images

Perhaps no player has exemplified the never-say-die attitude of top-tier tennis better than Goran Ivanišević, who somehow upset the odds at the All England Club.

After three losses in the finals of Wimbledon in 1992, 1994 and 1998, he failed to automatically qualify for the 2001 edition due to his ATP ranking of just 125.

However, Ivanišević received a wildcard entry due to his status as a three-time finalist.

Entering the tournament in England with virtually no chance of going all the way, the lanky Croatian accounted for Sweden’s Fredrik Jonsson in the first round in straight sets (6-4, 6-4, 6-4) and then upset Spanish former #1 Carlos Moyá Llompart in four sets (6-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4).

Ivanišević put in an impressive effort to defeat American hard-hitter Andy Roddick 7-6, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 in the third round and then beat Britain’s Gregory Rudeski in straight sets in the quarter-final (7-6, 6-4, 6-4).

With belief starting to build among the English crowd that the Croatian could be staging something special, he battled past Russia’s Marat Safin in a tough game (7-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6) and then reached the finals in a gruelling five-setter against home favourite Tim Henman (7-5, 6-7, 6-0, 7-6, 6-3).

Another full five sets awaited the Croatian in the final against Australia’s Patrick Rafter.

The match was a ding-dong affair, with Ivanišević claiming the first set 6-3 thanks to an early break of service and Rafter returning the favour 6-3 in the second set.

Heading into the third set, with his shoulder injury clearly causing problems, the Croatian still won the sixth game off the Australian’s serve to eventually claim the set 6-3.

However, Rafter showed his pedigree with a service break and took the next set 6-2.

Goran Ivanisevic: Wild Card To Wimbledon Champion

With everything on the line in the decisive fifth and final set, the games were evenly poised at 4-4, then 5-5, 6-6 and 7-7 until Ivanišević broke serve to go ahead 8-7, serving for the win.

After Rafter fought off three championship points to take the game to deuce thrice, the Australian failed to return another mighty serve and the match was decided.

With the win, Ivanišević became the only wildcard to win a tennis major.

“I am worried I will wake up in the morning and they will tell me it was just a dream,” he commented after the game.

Ivanišević also applauded Rafter after the game, “We both should have won Wimbledon before; him in 2000 in the final and I was supposed to win a long time ago.”

Wimbledon 2001 was Ivanišević’s only major title but holds a special place in history.

Andre Agassi of the United States//Getty Images

The final of Roland Garros in 1999 was a redemption-soaked story on both sides of the court.

Andre Agassi had seemingly overcome his demons to return to #1 in the world and was chasing his career Grand Slam on clay - a title that had long eluded him.

Andrei Medvedev, meanwhile, had overcome self-doubt to find a rich vein of form.

When the two met at Roland Garros, the Ukrainian took just 19 minutes to claim the first set 6-1 and with the second set taken 2-6, many believed Agassi’s dream was over.

However, the rain-delayed third set might have been heaven-sent.

Andre Agassi: Roland Garros 1999 - YouTube

There was talk of how during that interval, Agassi’s coach Brad Gilbert tore into him for blowing his chance and raging at him to ‘go down with both guns blazing’.

And blaze he did, fighting back to claim the final three sets 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.

As Agassi wept at winning the French Open and completing his career Grand Slam, he said: “Winning isn’t supposed to feel this good, but it does. This is certainly the greatest feeling I’ve ever had on a tennis court.”

Rafael Nadal of Spain//Getty Images

Based on the sheer magnitude of heart and determination, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer’s 2008 Wimbledon final meeting is among the greatest tennis matches of all time.

The match saw the world #1 and #2 putting on a show for the ages.

The young Spaniard claimed the first two sets 6-4, 6-4 but the Swiss veteran would rally back to win the third and fourth sets 7-6, 7-6 to set up a dramatic final set.

Rafael Nadal: Roger Federer v Rafael Nadal: Wimbledon Final 2008 (Extended Highlights) - YouTube

With rain interrupting multiple times, light began to set literally and figuratively.

As the match entered its fifth hour, the game went to 7-7 and with officials warning that it would be too dark to play much longer, Nadal made a decisive service break.

Federer then fired his last shot into the net to give the Spaniard his moment.

Hot-headed American legend John McEnroe went on to describe the 2008 Wimbledon final between Federer and Nadal as ‘the greatest I’ve ever witnessed’.

At four hours, 48 minutes, it was also among the most gruelling tennis matches.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia rips his shirt off//Getty Images

The clash between the Serbian and the Spaniard is the longest major singles final in history and also the longest match in Australian Open history.

The two tennis superstars would duel on the court for 5 hours, 53 minutes.

Djokovic entered the 2012 Australian Open final as the world #1 and Nadal at #2, with the Serbian having won their previous meetings in the finals of Wimbledon and the US Open.

This time around, his Spanish rival set the tone by winning the first set.

In a match perhaps best summed up by a massive 31-shot rally, Djokovic took the second and third sets 6-4 6-2 before Nadal mustered a 7-6 tie-break fourth set win.

The Spaniard then went up 4-2 to have the trophy almost in his sights.

However, in true diehard fashion, Djokovic capitalised on a Nadal error at 15-40 down, going on to break serve and winning five out of the last six games to claim the trophy.

Novak Djokovic: Novak Djokovic vs Rafael Nadal Full Match | Australian Open 2012 Final - YouTube

“It was obvious on the court for everybody who has watched the match that both of us, physically, we took the last drop of energy that we had from our bodies. We made history tonight and unfortunately there couldn’t be two winners,” the exhausted champion stated.

Nadal also remarked: “It’s true that I had a big mistake [at] 30-15 but it’s not a moment to think about that. Is something unbelievable how he returns, no? I never played against a player who’s able to return like this, almost every time.”

With his win at the 2012 Australian Open, Djokovic joined Nadal, Roger Federer, Pete Sampras and Rod Laver as only a handful to have claimed three consecutive tennis majors.

Venus Williams//Getty Images

If ever a match personified the term ‘comeback’, it could well be this.

Venus Williams, who defeated Maria Sharapova relatively easily in the semi-finals, faced Lindsay Davenport and found herself 6-4, 6-5 down, facing the world #1’s serve.

The American did not throw in the towel, however - far from it.

Instead, during a marathon match of two hours, 45 minutes, Venus first broke Davenport’s serve and then forced her way back in, winning the second set 7-6 after a tie-break.

Yet the top-seeded women’s tennis star did not make things any easier.

Davenport ended up ahead in the final set 4-2 and then seemed poised to lift the trophy at 30-40 on Williams’ serve with the game at 5-4: championship point.

Instead, the American smashed a backhand winner to take the game to deuce.

Venus Williams: Venus Williams vs Lindsay Davenport | Wimbledon 2005 Final | Full Match - YouTube

At the end of the longest women’s final in Wimbledon history, Venus Williams became the first woman to win a title after being a championship point down since Helen Wills in 1935.

She also only dropped a single set during the tournament - in the final against Davenport.

Roger Federer of Switzerland//Getty Images

In the nine years since their epic meeting at Wimbledon, Federer and Nadal had cemented their respective places among the greatest tennis players of all time.

Both entered the 2017 Australian Open final after recovering from injuries.

The 35-year-old Swiss legend was returning from a six-month hiatus after a freak knee injury while the Spaniard was on his way back to form after a wrist injury.

Given their long-standing rivalry, the major final was set for the history books.

Federer won the first set 6-4 after a seventh-game service break, with Nadal breaking his opponent’s serve twice to claim the second set 6-3.

Midway through the game, momentum seemed to shift Federer’s way.

Roger Federer: Roger Federer v Rafael Nadal Extended Highlights | Australian Open 2017 Final

After saving three break points in the opening game, he claimed the third set convincingly 6-1 but the Spaniard bounced back 6-3 in the fourth set to force a fifth and final set.

At the beginning of the last set, Federer left the court for a medical time-out.

Rather than looking as exhausted due to the intensity of the match, both men instead seemed to defy human endurance, mustering a 26-shot rally in the eighth game.

Nadal broke Federer’s serve first but the Swiss icon drew himself level at 3-3.

Serving for the title at 5-3 in the final, Federer found himself 15-40 down but fought back to a first and then a second championship point, which he converted.

Dramatically, Nadal challenged the call but Hawk-Eye confirmed the shot was in.

With the 2017 Australian Open win, Federer extended his Grand Slam singles record to 18 titles and also recorded his first Grand Slam win over Nadal apart from Wimbledon.

Of the match, Federer remarked: “I don’t think either of us believed we’d be in the finals. I’m happy for [Nadal]. I would have been happy to lose, to be honest. The comeback was perfect as it was.”