“You’re destroying the tension and beauty of tennis,”- Fans outrage over controversial 10-point tie-breaker rule change at Grand Slams
Follow Us
All the four Grand Slams are set to trial a 10-point final set tiebreak, starting with the French Open in May. According to the new rules, when the match is tied at six games all in the final set, the game will move on to a tiebreak where the first player to reach 10 points with a 2-point lead will win.
Currently, all the Grand Slams have different rules for the tie-break. Australian Open is the only Major which features the 10-point tie-break. The US Open uses the traditional 7-point tie-break begins at 6-6, the Wimbledon has one when the score is tied at 12-12, whereas the French Open doesn’t feature a tie-break. This change was approved by the governing bodies of all the four majors to bring in ‘consistency’ in the rules at all the Grand Slams.
“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. The Grand Slam Board plan to review the trial during the course of a full Grand Slam year, in consultation with the WTA, ATP, and ITF, before applying for any permanent rule change,” the Grand Slam Board said in a statement on Wednesday.
The rule change will take effect at Roland Garros in May and will be applied to applies to all Grand Slams across qualifying, men’s singles and doubles, women’s singles and doubles, wheelchair and junior events in singles.
Fans react to the controversial rule change
The new rules have received a backlash from the fans. Some are furious that tennis will no longer have marathon matches like the famous John Isner and Nicolas Mahut first-round clash at the 2010 Wimbledon, which holds the record for longest match in tennis history at 11 hours and 5 minutes, or the iconic Wimbledon 2019 final between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer which ended at 13-12 in the final set.
While some fans were fans glad that a major rule change has finally taken place and others opined this is essential to preserve the traditional best of five sets at Majors.
Stay Updated!
T Rushitha
(360 Articles Published)