The 2026 season starts, but how many matches over 3 hours were there in 2025 on the WTA circuit? » Two Romanians on the list

A few steps away from the start of the 2026 season, with tournaments from Brisbane (category WTA 500) and Auckland (WTA 250), a look back at the recently concluded year 2025 and its marathon matches.

In total, 50 such long-lasting matches were played, starting from the fixed 3-hour terminal and reaching 3 hours and 33 minutes. That's how close the match in the second round of the tournament in Ningbo between Belinda Bencic and Julia Starodubtseva. The Swiss prevailed with the score of 5-7, 6-4, 7-5 in front of the Ukrainian from the qualifications, only to play in the quarter-finals another huge match against Jasmine Paolini.

3 hours and 22 minutes for the Italian, Bencic paying the price for the effort in the previous round. Incidentally, both Belinda and Starodubtseva appear at the top of the list of “marathon” players in 2025, both with three super-long matches each.

The third longest match of last season was played in Cluj-Napoca at the Transylvania Open, 3 and a half hours, in the 1st round, with Viktoria Golubic defeating Arantxa Rus, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (10).

Laura Siegemund, leader of the “marathons” in 2025

Laura Siegemund at Australian Open 2025 Photo: Imago Images

However, the leader of the resistance in 2025 is, without a rival, the German veteran Laura Siegemund (37 years old, world number 46). She played 5 matches of more than 3 hours, winning three of them. A total of 16 hours and 8 minutes! He follows her Beatriz Haddad Maiawith 4 matches, and three other players with three each, Bencic, Starodubtseva and Emma Navarro.

Jaqueline Cristian, the best-ranked Romanian player of the moment, 39th WTA, is among those who played two extended matches. And the “tricolor” won them both. The 3 hour and 12 minute match against the Canadian Leylah Fernandez from the 2nd round at Indian Wells, score 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-3, is in the upper part of the hierarchy.

The one of 3 hours and three minutes against the Colombian Camila Osorioin the semifinals in Rabat, is in the lower part, but it has a special meaning: it took her to the second WTA final of her career.

And Sorana Cîrstea is present on the list of 50 mammoth parties. In February, in Dubai, where she reached the quarter-finals, the Romanian passed Emma Navarro in the 3rd round in 3 hours and one minute, score 7-6 (5), 3-6, 7-5.

List of players who played matches over 3 hours in 2025

• 5 matches » Laura Siegemund
• 4 matches » Beatriz Haddad Maia
• 3 matches » Belinda Bencic, Yuliia Starodubtseva, Emma Navarro,
• 2 matches » Jaqueline CristianTatjana Maria, Joanna Garland, Peyton Stearns, Leylah Fernandez, Diana Shnaider, Renata Zarazua, Emma Raducanu, Camila Osorio
• 1 match » Sorana Cîrstea. Yafan, Mei Yamaguchi, Yulia Putintseva, Harriet Dart, Jana Fett, Rebecca Sramkova, Jule Niemeier, Magdalena Frech, Sara Errani, Emiliana Arango, Viktoriya Tomova, Elena Rybakina, Clara Tauson, Caroline Dolehide, Madison Keys, Aryna Sabalenka, Moyuka Uchijima, Olga Danilovic, Karolina Muchova, Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, Louisa Chirico, Katie Volynets, Erika Andreeva, Leolia Jeanjean, Barbora Krejcikova, Taylor Townsend, Cristina Bucsa, Ann Li, Mirra Andreeva, Destanee Aiava, Greet Minnen, Anna Bondar, Noma Noha Akugue, Ajla Tomljanovic, Elise Mertens