What was the longest US Open men’s singles final of the Open Era?

 The US Open men’s singles final brings an end to the Grand Slam season on Sunday, and two very familiar faces are set to battle.

For the third straight major tournament, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz meet in the final, with the pair guaranteed to ensure that it will be eight straight Grand Slams in which one of the two has triumphed.

Sinner beat Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final back in July, but before that, the Spaniard had prevailed in an extraordinary French Open final, which became the longest men’s singles final in event history.

Here, we look at the two longest US Open finals of the Open Era — a milestone that could be under threat if the two contest another epic.

1988 — Mats Wilander def Ivan Lendl

Wilander and Lendl’s rivalry was one of the biggest of the 1980s, and the two tennis greats met in five separate Grand Slam finals.

However, few were as legendary or as gruelling as the 1988 US Open men’s singles final that the pair contested.

Plenty was at stake when the two met in the final that year, with three-time defending champion and reigning world No 1 Lendl looking to win a staggering fourth title in a row.

However, Wilander was in the best form of his career — having won the Australian Open and French Open titles that season — and had the chance to dislodge the Czech from top spot.

US Open News

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner primed for eye-watering prize money breakthrough in US Open final

Is Donald Trump a tennis fan and why is he at the US Open final?

In a match that ebbed and flowed across four hours and 54 minutes, it was the Swede who prevailed, battling his way to a 6–4, 4–6, 6–3, 5–7, 6–4 triumph.

It was the seventh and final Grand Slam title of his legendary career, though victory did see him rise to world No 1 for the first time.

2012 — Andy Murray def Novak Djokovic

Twenty-four years later, the 1988 final was equalled exactly in length — with the victorious player in fact coached by Lendl at the time.

Heading into the 2012 US Open final, Murray held a 0-4 record in Grand Slam finals and had suffered perhaps his most heartbreaking defeat yet at Wimbledon that summer, though he had bounced back to win Olympic gold.

Up against the Brit was Djokovic, the reigning US Open champion, looking to successfully defend his title and win what would have been his sixth Grand Slam singles title.

Murray edged a tight first set that lasted well over an hour and looked in control as he edged his way into a two-set lead, only for Djokovic to storm back.

The Serbian had the momentum into the decider, but Murray rallied and raced away with the decider, sealing a memorable 7–6(10), 7–5, 2–6, 3–6, 6–2 in four hours and 54 minutes.

It was the first of three major titles for the Brit, who also won Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016.