Tennis scoring is a beautiful thing, but can be hard when first learning the sport. The tiebreak is a vital time in a tennis match. But what is it, and how does it work?
A tiebreak is played when a set reaches 6 games each.
Instead of continuing traditional games, players switch to a faster scoring system to decide the set.
How scoring works in a tiebreak:
Unlike normal tennis scoring (15, 30, 40), tiebreaks use simple counting:
- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5…
The first player to reach:
- 7 points
- and lead by 2 points
wins the tiebreak.
Examples of winning scores
- 7–3
- 7–5
- 8–6
- 9-7
- 10–8
Who serves in a tiebreak?
Serving rotates in a fixed pattern, with the opening serve to be delivered by the receiver in the previous game:
- Player A serves once
- then Player B serves twice
- then alternate every two points
Why tiebreaks exist:
Without tiebreaks, sets could continue indefinitely, which they used to do for many years. Up until fairly recently, the Grand Slams used to play the deciding set without a tiebreak…until one chaotic match at Wimbledon.
John Isner and Nicholas Mahut played out a match over 3 days, where the final set was eventually decided at 70 games to 68. It was then quickly decided that tennis cannot continue like this, so the tiebreak was introduced for the deciding set.
What is a Match Tiebreak?
The match tiebreak is used in the deciding sets of a Grand Slam when scores reach 6-6, or in most doubles events after sets are tied at 1-1.
The match tiebreak is played out in exactly the same way as a normal tiebreak, however, the winner must reach 10 points first, rather than seven. The two-point buffer remains the same.
The tiebreak ensures:
- fairness
- time control
- consistent match structure
Related: What Does Advantage mean, What is Deuce, Tennis Scoring Explained
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