A tiebreak is a special tennis game when the score is 6 games each (6-6). The tiebreak and the set in question are won by the first player/players to win seven points by a margin of at least two points. One point is awarded for each point won in a tiebreak.
The purpose of a tiebreak is to speed up tennis matches. Without it, sets would take much longer since players would need to win by two games using regular scoring.
How Does a Tiebreak Work?
Players commence a tiebreak when the set is tied at 6-6. At the start of the tiebreak, one of the players serves once, and then both players serve twice in a row until one scores 7 or more points with a two-point margin.
A tiebreak could end, for example, 12-10, after which the player who wins the tiebreak also wins that set (7-6). Such a situation is shown on the scoreboard: game wins first and tiebreak points second.
In a tiebreak, players change ends after every sixth point.
An example of a tiebreak:
Super Tiebreak
In some shorter formats, such as amateur matches, a “super tiebreak” is used to decide the winner. Instead of regular scoring, the third set is replaced by a tiebreak played to 10 points. It follows the same rules as a standard tiebreak, but a player must reach 10 points instead of 7 to win. This is very commonly used in doubles matches.
