What are the tie-break rules at 2024 Australian Open after becoming first Grand Slam to implement 10-point rule

Ahead of the 2024 Australian Open (13-28 January), here is all you need to know about the tie-break rules for the first Grand Slam tournament of the season with recent changes in the scoring system meaning that unlike previously matches cannot continue with no end in sight like they have done in the past.

Tie-breaks occur in tennis when a set reaches 6-6 in games. It is then the first player to win seven points in the tie-break with at least a two-point margin. This could be 7-5, 7-4, 7-3, but also 10-8 or even 14-12. As long as there is not a two point margin, this continues until there is one.

Recent changes heralded by Australian Open

After a player starts the tie-break with one point on serve, the serving alternates with each player having two each on serve. In 2019, the Australian Open was the first Grand Slam to implement a 10-point tie-break rule in the final set when the score reaches 6-6 in games. These rules also apply to Qualifying during the Australian Open and have been followed suit by other Grand Slams including French Open, Wimbledon and US Open.

“Further to extensive consultation with the WTA, ATP, ITF and tennis officiating community, the Grand Slam Board’s decision is based on a strong desire to create greater consistency in the rules of the game at the grand slams, and thus enhance the experience for the players and fans alike,” read a joint statement.

It is similar to a normal tie-break albeit one player starts off with a point on serve and then the other player has two points on serve and then it alternates between each player having two each. The winner is the first to reach ten with at least a two point margin. If a player gets to ten and this isn't the case, it continues when they achieve that.

Rybakina and Blinkova play the mother of all super tie-breaks in the AO2024

In this year's WTA edition though something remarkable occured. Elena Rybakina and Anna Blinkova had to fight out a super tie-break in their final set of Round 2. Both women kept saving tons of match points thrown at them by their opponent. This occurred on a staggering fourteen occasions in total! The super tie-break eventually recorded an endscore of 22-20 in favour of underdog Anna Blinkova who then and there won the match on a.. super tie-break. That was the first time in the whole breaker that one athlete had been able to put the required two points difference in a tie-break on the scoreboard! It was also the longest Grand Slam tie-break in WTA history.

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As with other Grand Slams, the superbreaker has not affected the scoring of sets with it still being best of three in the Women's Singles and best of five in the men's singles.

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