The deciding set no longer continues indefinitely
At the US Open, a deciding set that reaches 6-6 is settled by a 10-point tiebreak. The first player or team to reach at least 10 points with a margin of two wins the match. A score of 10-9 is not enough; play continues until one side leads by two, such as 11-9 or 14-12.
The rule applies when the match reaches its final possible set: the third set in women's singles and most doubles formats, or the fifth set in men's singles. Earlier sets still use the familiar seven-point tiebreak at 6-6, also requiring a two-point winning margin.
The four Grand Slam tournaments adopted a shared approach in 2022. The US Open's official announcement said the change was designed to bring greater consistency to the rules across the majors.
How service rotates in a 10-point tiebreak
The player whose turn it is to serve delivers the first point from the deuce court. The opponent then serves two points, beginning from the advantage court. From there, service changes every two points until the tiebreak ends.
Players change ends after every six points. That can happen several times in a long breaker, helping balance conditions such as sun, wind and the view behind each baseline.
The scoring can be written simply as 1-0, 1-1 and so on, rather than 15, 30 and 40. The match winner takes the deciding set 7-6, with the tiebreak score usually shown in brackets on a full scorecard.
Why it is first to 10 instead of seven
A deciding set carries the full weight of the match, so the longer breaker provides more points for quality to separate the players. A seven-point tiebreak can turn on one early mini-break. Reaching 10 does not remove volatility, but it gives both sides more opportunities to recover.
The format also creates a predictable endpoint compared with an advantage set, which once continued until one player led by two games. Historic long matches were memorable, but they complicated scheduling and could leave the winner physically compromised for the next round.
The 10-point rule balances those concerns. It preserves the tension of a decisive sequence while making match length more manageable for players, broadcasters, ticket holders and tournament organisers.
Common misunderstandings
The most frequent mistake is assuming the breaker ends at 10 under all circumstances. It does not. The two-point margin remains essential. If the score reaches 9-9, the next point creates match point but cannot by itself finish the contest.
Another misunderstanding is that every set uses the longer format. At the US Open, the special 10-point breaker is for the deciding set. Standard set tiebreaks are played to seven.
Viewers should also distinguish the main-draw rule from formats used elsewhere on the tennis calendar. Some doubles events use a match tiebreak instead of playing a full third set. Tournament regulations, age groups and qualifying events can have specific variations, so the official draw rules remain the final reference.
What the rule changes tactically
Players often become more conservative on second serve because a double fault carries immediate weight. Return position can also change: an aggressive return may earn a mini-break, while a deep neutral return can prevent the server from controlling the first shot.
Momentum matters, but score awareness matters more. At 4-1, there is time to recover. At 8-8, every decision is magnified. Coaches and analysts therefore examine first-serve percentage, return points won and unforced errors during the breaker rather than treating it as a lottery.
The simplest way to follow the ending is this: 6-6 triggers the deciding-set tiebreak, 10 is the target, and a two-point lead is compulsory.
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