In a standard professional tennis set where the opposing players are tied 6-6, the deadlock is settled by playing a tiebreaker. The winner of the tiebreak is awarded the set.
Tiebreaks operate on a strict set of rules. The winner is the first player who can accumulate seven points, but – as is the case with most tennis situations – the player must win by two.
As an example: If a singles player is leading their opponent 7-6 in the tiebreak, they must still win another point to win the tiebreaker, even though they have already reached seven points.
At the beginning of a tiebreak, one player/team will serve one point. The next player then gets to serve two points. Sides alternate two service points until there is a winner.
After each block of six points, players switch sides.
While these are the traditional tiebreak rules for most tournaments, some grand slams deploy an expanded 10-point tiebreak rule for match-deciding sets. This began with the Australian Open in 2019 and eventually caught on at other tournaments.
Tiebreak Tennis Rules
- One side serves one point
- Sides then alternate serving two points apiece
- Switch sides after every six points
- First to seven wins, but player(s) must win by two
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