Rules of Tennis Tie Break

The general rule in tennis is that a player must "win by two." To win a single game, a player must score four points by a margin of two points, and to win a set, he must win six games by a margin of two games. When players are well-matched, winning by two can be difficult, and a match can continue for hours. In 1971, the tiebreak was introduced at Wimbledon.

  1. Enforcing the Tiebreak

    • In tournament play, a tiebreak is enforced to decide the winner of a set when the players are tied at six games each.

    Beginning the Tiebreak

    • The opponent who served second at the beginning of the set serves first during the tiebreak.

    Serving During the Tiebreak

    • Each player serves two consecutive points. After six points are played, the players change sides of the court.

    Scoring the Tiebreak

    • A player receives one point for each point won during the tiebreak. The first player to score 7 points by a margin of 2 points wins the tiebreak, and in turn, wins the set.

    Playing Out the Match

    • A match that goes into the final set is tied (i.e., 2 sets each in a best of 5 sets tournament, or 1 set each in a best of 3 sets tournament). Many tournaments do not employ the tiebreak rule in the final set. In this case, the players must "play out" the match, meaning they must continue to play complete 4-point games until someone wins at least six games by a margin of two games.