Botic van de Zandschulp and Opponent Make US Open History, Breaking 34-Year-Old Record

After a grueling 5 hours and 13 minutes on court, Van de Zandschulp emerged victorious. It was nothing short of a miracle, as he saved a match point against the French lucky loser. Trailing two sets to love and seemingly on the brink of defeat, Van de Zandschulp mounted a remarkable comeback, ultimately winning 3-2 in sets. With three tie-breaks and sets ending 3-6 and 6-4, Gea and Van de Zandschulp etched their names into US Open history.

Between them, they played a staggering 409 points, the highest number ever recorded in a single match. This shatters a record that had stood since 1992. Back then, Michael Chang also fought back against Stefan Edberg, though the American ultimately lost 3-2 in sets. They played 404 points in that encounter. For 32 years, those tennis legends also held the record for the longest match ever at the US Open, a marathon lasting 5 hours and 26 minutes. Tuesday night's match now ranks fourth on that list.

Remarkably, Van de Zandschulp won fewer total points than his opponent, Gea. The Dutchman secured 201 points, accounting for only 49 percent of the total. Gea, logically, claimed the remaining 208 points. Van de Zandschulp had already endured a nearly five-hour match against Zizou Bergs, making this another marathon in a series of grueling encounters. To play the longest match ever at the American Grand Slam, he would need to be on court for a total of 5 hours and 36 minutes.

Indeed, Edberg and Chang were "surpassed" in the history books in 2024. The first-round match between Dan Evans and Karen Khachanov lasted an astonishing 5 hours and 35 minutes, which remains the record at Flushing Meadows. In the quarterfinals, Van de Zandschulp is set to face top seed Alexander Zverev.