Who has the best five-set record in tennis? | ATP Tour

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Who has the best five-set record in tennis?

Check out the top 10 five-set records of the Open Era

January 12, 2025

Kei Nishikori celebrated the fifth two-set comeback of his career at the Australian Open on Sunday, where he beat Thiago Monteiro 4-6, 6-7(4), 7-5, 6-2, 6-3.

As the former No. 4 in the PIF ATP Rankings battled from two sets down, it was no surprise that he got the job done. The Japanese star has long been one of the best decision set players in tennis.

But does Nishikori have the best five-set record of the Open Era? Close, but not quite.

Best Five-Set Records (Full Open Era Career)

^{*The table shows players who only participated in the Open Era, at least 15 games}
According to Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, Björn Borg, a member of the ATP No. 1 Club, the best five-set record in the Open era among players who have played at least 15 five-set matches. The Swede achieved a record of 27-6 and a winning percentage of 81.8. Johan Kriek achieved the same winning percentage, but took fewer wins (18-4).

Among active players, 99-time Tour title holder Novak Djokovic is at the top with a winning rate of 78.4 (40-11). Nishikori trails slightly with a winning percentage of 78.4 and a record of 29-8.

“It is good to have this record because I always have great confidence and the players know that I have a good record,” Nishikori said. “It’s good pressure for them when I have that. But maybe I realized that six or seven years ago.”

Nishikori has won eight of his nine five-setters at the Australian Open. He will next face 12th seed Tommy Paul or Christopher O’Connell.

Carlos Alcaraz has an astonishing record of 12-1 in five sets. However, he did not reach the minimum number of 15 games to qualify for the leaderboard. But even if the Spaniard loses his next two five-set players, he will still be at the top of the list with a win rate of 80 percent.