By Dan Evans made history at the US Open by winning a grueling five-set match against 23rd seed Karen Khachanov, setting a new record for the longest match ever recorded at the tournament. Evans, who was down 4-0 in the final set, staged an incredible comeback to win 6-7 (6-8) 7-6 (7-2) 7-6 (7-4) 4-6 6-4 in a match that lasted five hours and 35 minutes.
The victory broke the previous US Open record of five hours and 26 minutes, set by Stefan Edberg and Michael Chang in 1992. Evans’ perseverance in the face of adversity, especially when Khachanov held four break points at 4-0 in the final set, allowed him to clinch a stunning victory by winning the next six games consecutively.
Evans, visibly exhausted after the match, admitted that he had never played for such an extended period, even in practice. “I was trying to just play, stay out there as long as possible at 4-0 and just see where I could get myself,” he said. “It’s the longest I’ve ever been on a court.”
In addition to Evans’ victory, British No. 1 Katie Boulter and fellow Brit Jack Draper also advanced to the second round. Boulter fought back from a set down to defeat Aliaksandra Sasnovich 5-7 6-2 6-1, showing her resilience in challenging conditions. She will face Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the next round.
Draper, seeded 25th, secured a straightforward victory against Chinese No. 1 Zhizhen Zhang, winning 6-3 6-0 4-0 before Zhang retired due to a left knee injury. Draper will next face either Facundo Diaz Acosta or Hugo Gaston, with the possibility of meeting Carlos Alcaraz in the third round.
The US Open continues to deliver thrilling matches, with Evans’ record-breaking win standing out as one of the most memorable moments so far.
