There have been plenty of exciting revivals over the course of tennis history, with players winning Grand Slams from the brink of disaster on multiple occasions. But which have been the greatest comebacks in tennis history?
The greatest in-match comebacks in Grand Slam history
Tennis is one of the few sports where momentum can swing dramatically in a matter of minutes. A match that seems all but over can suddenly turn on its head, and the players below produced some of the most remarkable comebacks ever seen on a Grand Slam stage.
Jannik Sinner vs Daniil Medvedev — Australian Open 2024
Jannik Sinner won his first Grand Slam title in the most dramatic fashion at the 2024 Australian Open. Having defeated 10-time champion Novak Djokovic in the semis, Sinner was the red-hot favorite to lift the title in the final. But after a nervy start to the match, Sinner found himself trailing former World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev by two sets to love and his hopes of becoming just the second Italian man to win a singles Grand Slam fading fast.
Rather than retreat into defensive tennis, Sinner raised his level and imposed himself physically on a match that had seemed to be slipping away. He pulled off the greatest comeback of his young career to reel off the next three sets and etch his name in the annals of Italian tennis.
Rafael Nadal vs Daniil Medvedev — Australian Open 2022
Rafael Nadal’s place among tennis immortals was already sealed long before he completed one of the most improbable comebacks in tennis history. The Spaniard trailed Daniil Medvedev by two sets to love and was a break down in the third set. With just two and a half hours into the match, Nadal was staring at a potentially humiliating straight sets defeat in another Australian Open final.
But three hours later, Nadal reminded us why he is regarded as the ultimate tennis competitor as he produced a stirring comeback to snatch the title from Medvedev’s grasp in a five-set thriller. The victory gave Nadal a then-record 21st Grand Slam title, one clear of his great rivals Federer and Djokovic.
Novak Djokovic vs Roger Federer — Wimbledon 2019
The 2019 Wimbledon will go down as one of the most epic tennis matches of all time. And it involved two of tennis’ greatest in Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer who had each won Wimbledon multiple times.
For Federer, a ninth Wimbledon title was on his racket as he served for the match in pulsating fifth set and held two match points. But each time, the Swiss was foiled by Djokovic’s grit and precision as the Serb extracted an error out of Federer’s wand and then produced a sumptuous passing shot to erase match points.
Djokovic went on to win the title in the first of its kind 12-all deciding final set tiebreak at Wimbledon.
Andre Agassi vs Andrei Medvedev — Roland Garros 1999
The 1999 French Open final was a historic occasion. Andre Agassi completed the career Grand Slam (winning all four Majors), beating Andrei Medvedev in five sets.
Agassi looked down and out at 1-6, 2-6 in the opening two sets, but still authored a five-set comeback to win his first title at Roland Garros.
Ivan Lendl vs John McEnroe — Roland Garros 1984
John McEnroe was destined to win the 1984 French Open tournament at Roland Garros and he had every reason to feel confident. He was undefeated that season and stormed into a two sets to love lead in the final against Ivan Lendl and with one hand on the title.
But tennis is a sport of fine margins and the physicality of the rallies quickly changed the course of the match as Lendl outmuscled the American in the next three sets to walk away with the title.
For McEnroe, it remains one of the most painful defeats of his career, a match he has since described as the one that got away.
Gonzales vs Pasarell — Wimbledon 1969
The early phase of the Open Era witnessed a match for the record books. 41-year-old Pancho Gonzales rolled back the years to beat Charlie Pasarell, who was 16 years his junior in a first round match at the 1969 Wimbledon Championships by a score of 22–24 1–6 16–14 6–3 11–9 in five hours and 20 minutes.
This match that eventually led to the introduction of the tiebreak in tennis.
The greatest career comebacks in tennis history
Winning a Grand Slam title from two sets down takes real composure. Rebuilding a career from its lowest point is something different altogether, it often means starting again with no certainty that things will turn around.
The three players below did just that, and their journeys still stand out well beyond tennis. They also show how the ability to recover from a losing position is one of the defining traits of top-level sport, a quality that resonates far outside the court, from business to entertainment.
It’s no coincidence that international sporting events attract growing commercial interest across a wide range of industries: from fashion and automotive to streaming platforms and non aams casinos, where the selection of international operators targeting global tennis audiences is steadily growing.
Andre Agassi — from world No. 141 back to No. 1
Very few comeback stories in tennis match the scale of Andre Agassi’s resurgence. The legendary American exited the Top 100 in 1997, dropping as low as No. 141, largely due to injuries and personal struggles. Most pundits and fans believed his best years had gone.
Instead, Agassi built everything from the ground up and quickly rediscovered the form that made him part of the elite. Within a couple of years, Agassi rose to the summit of men’s tennis, and his 1999 French Open was a moment of redemption for the now-celebrated American tennis legend.
Roger Federer — knee surgery at 36, Australian Open 2017
Roger Federer launched a late career revival back in 2017 to cement his legacy as one of the greatest tennis players to pick up a racket. Federer’s quest to do so almost felt impossible. He was 35, coming off a knee surgery after missing the second half of the previous season.
The image of the Swiss slipping on the Wimbledon grass during his semifinal defeat to Milos Raonic in 2016 was a painful moment for Federer and his legion of fans.
After a successful surgery, Federer returned to the 2017 Australian Open with a more aggressive style of tennis and a revitalized backhand. He beat four Top 10 players, including his great rival Rafael Nadal, to clinch the title. His success ended a five-year Grand Slam title drought.
Goran Ivanisevic — wild Card at Wimbledon 2001, ranked 125
Not every Wimbledon title win carries the same emotion as Goran Ivanisevic’s victory in 2001. Ivanisevic entered the tournament as a wild card, ranked No. 125 in the world rankings. Despite a couple of near-misses in previous seasons at the All England Club, Ivanisevic was not projected to reach the deep end of the draw, let alone win the title.
Yet, after two unforgettable weeks on the lawns, the Croatian completed quite possibly the greatest underdog story in Grand Slam history by winning his one and only Major trophy.
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
