INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Tennis is entering a new era: one in which the marathon final sets that have concluded some of its greatest and longest matches are no longer an option.
The Grand Slam Board announced Wednesday that beginning in May with the French Open, all four major tournaments will put in place a tiebreaker at 6-6 all in decisive sets, the third in women’s singles matches and the fifth set in men’s singles.
The first player with at least 10 points and a 2-point margin will win the tiebreaker. The move was announced as a one-year trial but is very likely to be adopted permanently considering the extensive consultation behind it.