This article covers records concerning the shortest-ever tennis matches both in terms of number of games and duration in terms of time. Matches affected by a retirement or default are not listed.
Steffi Graf won the quickest-ever Open Era Grand Slam Final in 32 minutes.
Jack Harper lost just one point when he defeated J. Sandiford 6–0, 6–0 at the 1946 Surrey Open Hard Court Championships in a match that lasted 18 minutes, the shortest men's singles match on record.[5]
Helen Wills, while dispatching Emily Wright 6–0, 6–0 in Beaulieu, France in 1926, won the first set in 9 minutes.[14]
Grand Slam tournaments
French Open
Steffi Graf won 6–0, 6–0, against Natasha Zvereva in the 1988 French Open final. The official time of the match given on the scoresheet was 34 minutes,[15][16][17] but the match consumed just 32 minutes of playing time,[1] split into two periods of nine and 23 minutes because of a rain break. It is the only "double bagel" Grand Slam singles final of the Open Era, and only the second time in the history of tennis (the other being at 1911 Wimbledon).[18]
Wimbledon
During the 1969 tournament, Sue Tutt beat Marion Boundy 6–2, 6–0 in 20 minutes.[19]
In the 1922 Wimbledon final Suzanne Lenglen defeated Molla Mallory, 6–2, 6–0, in 23 minutes. Some accounts state that the match was over in 20 minutes.[20]
In the 1925 Wimbledon final Lenglen defeated Joan Fry in 25 minutes, 6–2, 6–0.[20]
Fewest games
Key
W
F
SF
QF
#R
RR
Q#
P#
DNQ
A
Z#
PO
G
S
B
NMS
NTI
P
NH
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (P#) preliminary round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (Z#) Davis/Fed Cup Zonal Group (with number indication) or (PO) play-off; (G) gold, (S) silver or (B) bronze Olympic/Paralympic medal; (NMS) not a Masters tournament; (NTI) not a Tier I tournament; (P) postponed; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.
‡ Winner of the match also won the tournament.
Men (triple bagel)
There have been at least 17 best-of-five-set matches which have lasted 18 games (6–0, 6–0, 6–0), colloquially referred to as a "triple bagel", in the Open Era.[21] This is the shortest possible length for a best-of-five-set match, not including retirements or defaults.
In women's tennis, matches featuring a minimum number of games are a more frequent occurrence. The following are women's Grand Slam singles matches which have lasted 12 games (6–0, 6–0), colloquially referred to as a "double bagel", in the Open Era.[citation needed] This is the shortest possible length for a best-of-three-set match, not including retirements or defaults.
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