What are the tie-break rules at Wimbledon this year? How do 10-point tie-breaks work? Was there a rule change?

Previously at Wimbledon, matches could continue until a player won by two clear games, which led to marathon matches such as John Isner's three-day win over Nicolas Mahut in 2010.

The tie-break rule in final sets at Wimbledon has undergone major changes in recent years.

While matches at the Grand Slam could once go on and on, that cannot happen any longer.

In 2022, it was announced that a 10-point tie-break will be used to decide matches that reach 6-6 in the final set - the third set for women and fifth set for men.

A 10-point tie-break follows the same format as a traditional seven-point tie-break: one player starts by serving for one point, then it alternates between two successive serves from each player, with the winner the first person to reach 10 points, as long as they are at least two points ahead of their opponent.

Any set other than the final set that reaches 6-6 will still be decided by the first-to-seven tie-break format.

The first match to see the new rule implemented at Wimbledon was Serena Williams' first-round contest against Harmony Tan in 2022, which saw the 23-time Grand Slam winner get knocked out in three sets.

All four Grand Slams on the tennis calendar now feature 10-point tie-breaks in the deciding set.

The Australian Open was the first of the four Grand Slams to adopt the format in 2019. Explaining why they made the change, Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said: "We went with a 10-point tie-break at six-all in the final set to ensure fans still get a special finale to these contests, with the longer tie-break allowing for that one final twist or change of momentum in the contest.

"This longer tie-break also can lessen some of the serving dominance that can prevail in the shorter tie-break. We believe this is the best possible outcome for both the players and the fans around the world.”

Famous marathon matches at Wimbledon include Novak Djokovic beating Roger Federer 13-12 in the final set of their singles final in 2019, with Wimbledon previously having introduced a traditional tie-break after 12-12.

In the years before that, final sets of Grand Slams were decided by two clear games, which led to some matches stretching on for many hours as a result.

In 2010, Isner and Mahut played the longest match in Wimbledon history when the final set of their first-round match finished 70-68.

The match had to be played across three days and took 11 hours and five minutes.

The exertions of the match took their toll on winner Isner, who was beaten in just one hour and 14 minutes in the next round.

"I've never been this exhausted before," said Isner. "Mentally and physically, I was obviously a bit drained. I just didn’t have much in the way of my legs. I was just low on fuel out there. Didn’t really have a chance."

Isner said in 2018 that he welcomed the previous change to having a tie-break at 12-12 in the final set.

"I have said all along 12-all is good," he told the BBC.

"That is sensible - you're getting people who like the advantage and people who like tie-breaks. It is bucking tradition but a lot of people believe that is not a bad thing."

Isner was also involved in the second-longest Grand Slam match at Wimbledon 2018 when he lost 26-24 in the final set to Kevin Anderson.

The move to use 10-point tie-breakers across all four majors was announced by the Grand Slam board in March 2022.

"The 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," said a statement.

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