Tennis Tiebreak Rules Explained

A standard tiebreak is played when a set reaches 6-6. The first player or team to seven points wins the game and the set, provided they are two points clear. The ITF Rules of Tennis set out the format, and they also allow a longer "match tie-break" to ten points in some competitions.

The seven-point tiebreak

The ITF rules state it plainly: "In a tie-break game, the first player or team to win seven points wins the game and set, provided there is a margin of two points over the opponent(s)." If the score reaches 6-6 in the tiebreak, play continues until one side leads by two.

The player whose turn it is to serve serves the first point. After that, the serve passes to the opponent, who serves the next two points, and the players then alternate every two points. The players change ends after every six points. In the score, the tiebreak counts as one game and the set is recorded as 7-6; the loser's tiebreak points are often added in brackets, as in 7-6(4).

The ten-point match tiebreak

Where the organiser allows it, a "Match Tie-break" can replace a deciding set. The ITF rules describe it: "The first player or team to win 10 points wins the match, provided there is a margin of 2 points over the opponent(s)." It is widely used in doubles on the professional tours and in club and junior competitions, because it keeps matches to a predictable length. Serving order and changes of ends follow the same pattern as in the seven-point tiebreak.

The Grand Slam final-set rule

For years each Grand Slam had its own rule for deciding sets. In March 2022 the Grand Slam Board announced a common format: "For all main draw singles matches that reach 6-6 in the final set (for men, the 5th set; for women, the 3rd set), a 10-point Match Tiebreak will be played. The first player to win 10 points, with a minimum 2 point lead, will be declared the winner of the match."

The rule has applied at all four Majors since 2022, so a deciding set can no longer run to 70-68. For club players, the ITF Rules of Tennis are the reference; for a specific tournament, its regulations say which format is used in each event.