In most tennis formats, a set that reaches 6–6 is decided by a tiebreak. Points are counted 1, 2, 3 rather than 15, 30, 40, and the first player or team to reach 7 points with a lead of at least two wins the tiebreak and the set 7–6.
The first point is served by one player, then the serve passes after every two points, and players change ends after every six points. A longer version, the 10-point match tiebreak (often called a super tiebreak), is played to 10 instead of 7 and is widely used in place of a deciding set.
Below is everything you need to play one correctly: when it starts, the serving order, the sides, the score calls and how the result is written down.
When is a tiebreak played?
A standard set is won by the first player to win six games with a two-game lead: 6–4, 6–3, 7–5. If the score reaches 5–5, the set continues. At 7–5 it is over; at 6–6, a tiebreak game is played to settle it. That is the usual “tiebreak set” used in club matches, league play and on the professional tours.
Not every set must end that way. The ITF rules also allow an advantage set, in which play simply continues until someone leads by two games, with no tiebreak at all. Advantage final sets were once a feature of several Grand Slams; today they are rare, but you may still meet them in some events or friendly matches.
Formats also vary in where the tiebreak kicks in. Some competitions use short sets to four games, with a tiebreak at 4–4. Others replace the whole deciding set with a match tiebreak (see below). Before a league match or tournament, check the format sheet, because the rules of the event always take precedence over general habit.
If you are new to the regular game score (love, 15, 30, 40, deuce), start with our guide to how tennis scoring works; the tiebreak only makes sense once the normal game is familiar.
How to score a tiebreak
A tiebreak is counted in plain numbers: 0, 1, 2, 3 and so on. There is no 15, 30 or 40, no deuce and no advantage. The first player to reach 7 points wins, provided they are at least two points ahead. At 6–6 the tiebreak simply carries on until somebody leads by two, so a score of 9–7, 12–10 or even longer is perfectly possible.
In friendly play, call the server’s score first, exactly as you would in a normal game. At professional events the chair umpire usually announces the score followed by the name of the player who leads, so the convention you hear on television can sound different.
A few worked examples:
| Score | What it means |
|---|---|
| 6–3 | Three set points. One more point wins the tiebreak 7–3. |
| 6–5 | Set point. If won, 7–5 ends it; if lost, it is 6–6. |
| 7–6 | Not over. A one-point lead is not enough, so play continues. |
| 8–6 | Over. Eight points and a two-point lead win the tiebreak. |
| 5–7 | Over. The player on 7 has won by two. |
Whatever the final tiebreak score, the winner takes the set 7–6. The tiebreak counts as a single game in the set score.
Who serves in a tiebreak, and from which side
The player whose turn it is to serve after 6–6 serves the first point, and only that one point, from the right-hand (deuce) court. From then on each player serves two points in a row: the first from the left-hand (advantage) court, the second from the right. This “one, then two each” rhythm continues until the tiebreak ends.
A quick way to remember the side: just as in a normal game, when the total number of points played so far is even, the server serves from the right; when it is odd, from the left. Here is how the first seven points run if player A starts:
| Point | Server | Serves from |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | Right (deuce court) |
| 2 | B | Left (advantage court) |
| 3 | B | Right |
| 4 | A | Left |
| 5 | A | Right |
| 6 | B | Left |
| 7 | B | Right |
Each server still has a first and second serve on every point, exactly as in a normal game. Only the order of servers changes. Mistakes are common here, so it helps to say the score out loud before every point. If the wrong player does serve, points already played stand; the ITF rules then set out exactly how the order is put right.
Changing ends, and who serves the next set
In a tiebreak, players change ends after every six points: at 4–2, 3–3, 5–1 and so on, then again after twelve points, eighteen points and so on. This spreads out the effect of sun and wind. The change is made without a sit-down break, so it should be quick.
Players also change ends once the tiebreak is finished, before the next set begins. The tiebreak counts as the thirteenth game of the set, and as an odd-numbered game it is followed by a change of ends.
Who serves first in the next set is the other common source of confusion. The rule is simple: the player or team who served first in the tiebreak receives in the first game of the following set. Since the tiebreak used up both players’ turns, the serve passes to whoever did not open it.
Worked example: at 6–6 in the first set, Maria serves the first tiebreak point. She wins the tiebreak 7–4, then both players change ends, and her opponent serves the first game of the second set.
Keeping all of that in your head while you are also trying to win the points is hard. In Voleo you tap the side that won each point, and the app tracks the tiebreak score, who serves next and when to change ends for you. See the tennis score keeper for the formats it covers.
How a tiebreak set is written down
A set decided by a tiebreak is recorded as 7–6, and the tiebreak points are usually added in brackets. There are two common conventions:
- Full tiebreak score: 7–6 (7–4).
- Loser’s points only: 7–6 (4), sometimes printed as a small superscript. Because the winner’s total is either 7 or two more than the loser’s, the full score can always be worked out from the smaller number.
So 7–6 (10) means the tiebreak finished 12–10, while 7–6 (3) means 7–3. A whole match might read 6–4, 6–7 (5), 7–6 (8): the second set was lost 5–7 in the tiebreak, the third won 10–8.
A match tiebreak played instead of a deciding set is written differently, because it is not a full set. You will typically see it as 6–4, 3–6, [10–7], or with the score in brackets after a 1–0. Leagues and tournaments sometimes specify which form to use on the score card, so follow the local sheet if one exists.
The match tiebreak (super tiebreak)
The match tiebreak, also called a super tiebreak or 10-point tiebreak, is a longer tiebreak used instead of a deciding set. When sets are level, say at one set all in a best-of-three match, the players go straight into a match tiebreak rather than starting a third set.
The rules are the same as a regular tiebreak, with one difference in length:
- The first to 10 points with a lead of two wins: 10–8, 11–9, 14–12.
- At 9–9 play continues until someone is two points clear.
- The serving order is identical: one point, then two each.
- Players change ends after every six points.
- The winner of the match tiebreak wins the match.
Worked example: the first two sets finish 6–3, 4–6. Instead of a third set, the players play a match tiebreak, which ends 10–7. The result reads 6–3, 4–6, [10–7].
Where you will meet it: the format is common in doubles, including on the professional tours, and in many club, league, junior and senior competitions, where it keeps matches to a predictable length. It is less usual in professional singles, where full deciding sets are the norm. Some events also use a match tiebreak to 7 rather than 10, so always check which one has been agreed.
Final-set tiebreaks at the Grand Slams
The four Grand Slam tournaments (the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open) used to handle the final set in different ways. Some played on until a player led by two games; others used a tiebreak. Since 2022 they have used one shared format: when the final set reaches 6–6, a 10-point tiebreak decides it.
Here the 10-point tiebreak is not a replacement for the final set. The full set is played first, and the tiebreak only comes in if it reaches 6–6. The winner of the tiebreak takes the set 7–6 and the match.
| Format | When it starts | Played to |
|---|---|---|
| Standard tiebreak | 6–6 in a set | 7, win by two |
| Match tiebreak (super tiebreak) | Instead of the deciding set | 10, win by two |
| Grand Slam final-set tiebreak | 6–6 in the final set | 10, win by two |
| Advantage set (no tiebreak) | Never | Two-game lead |
Other professional events and national federations set their own rules for final sets, so do not assume the Grand Slam format applies to every tournament.
Tiebreaks in doubles
A doubles tiebreak is scored exactly like a singles one, first to 7 (or 10 in a match tiebreak) with a two-point lead. The only extra question is which of the four players serves, and the answer is that the normal serving rotation simply continues.
The player whose turn it is in the rotation serves the first point from the right. The next player in the rotation, on the other team, serves points two and three. Then the partner of the first server serves points four and five, then the partner of the second server serves points six and seven, and the cycle repeats.
Receiving positions do not change during the tiebreak. Each player stays on the side of the court they have been receiving from all set, so on any point the receiver is whoever stands on the side the server is serving to.
The ends still change every six points, and the team that served first in the tiebreak receives in the first game of the next set. Within that team, the partners may choose again who serves first in the new set, as they can at the start of any set.
With four people and a rotating serve, a doubles tiebreak is where scorekeeping most often goes wrong. Voleo handles singles and doubles, and its upcoming Apple Watch app is designed to let you score from the wrist without breaking the rhythm of the point.
Frequently asked questions
How many points do you need to win a tennis tiebreak?
A standard tiebreak is won by the first player to reach 7 points with a lead of at least two. If it reaches 6–6, play continues until someone is two points ahead, so scores like 9–7 or 12–10 are possible.
Who serves first in a tiebreak?
The player whose turn it would be to serve after 6–6 serves the first point from the right. After that, each player serves two points in a row, starting from the left court.
What is a super tiebreak in tennis?
A super tiebreak, or match tiebreak, is a tiebreak played to 10 points with a two-point lead, used instead of a deciding set. It follows the same serving and change-of-ends rules as a normal tiebreak.
When do you change ends in a tiebreak?
Players change ends after every six points in the tiebreak, and again once the tiebreak is over, before the next set starts.
Who serves after a tiebreak?
The player or team who served first in the tiebreak receives in the first game of the next set.
How is a tiebreak written in the score?
The set is written as 7–6, usually with the tiebreak score in brackets, either in full as 7–6 (7–4) or with only the loser's points as 7–6 (4).