What is a super tiebreak in tennis? Rules, points and how it’s used at Olympics

Spain’s Rafael Nadal has criticised the use of the ‘super tiebreak’ to decide doubles matches at the 2024 Olympics tennis tournament, describing the rule as a needless “lottery”.

In both men’s and women’s doubles play in Paris, the deciding third set has been replaced by the super tiebreak for a quicker resolution to matches.

This format is also used in doubles matches on the ATP Tour - but, while Nadal understands its use on the year-round circuit as a way of minimising fatigue amongst players who also have singles commitments, he says it shouldn’t be used at the Olympics.

“I don’t understand why we have the lottery of a super tiebreak”

“Personally, I think it’s unnecessary to have the super tiebreak at the Games,” Nadal said on Tuesday, after he and compatriot Carlos Alcaraz had beaten Dutch pair Tallon Griekspoor and Wesley Koolhof by virtue of the rule.

“It’s used on the Tour and that’s understandable because it allows singles players to also play doubles. But the Olympics are every four years and for singles players it’s the most important [doubles] tournament of our careers, so I don’t understand why we have the lottery of a super tiebreak and not a three-set match.”

Having beaten Griekspoor and Koolhof, Nadal and Alcaraz will face the USA’s Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram in the quarter-finals.

What is a super tiebreak?

While a regular tiebreak is played up to seven points, the super tiebreak is won by the first player or twosome to reach 10 points. As in a seven-point tiebreak, it must be won by a two-point margin. If play continues beyond the 10-point mark, the winner is the first player or pairing to achieve a two-point lead.

Notably, super tiebreaks are also used in singles tennis at all four Grand Slam tournaments - the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open - but with a major difference: they do not replace the deciding set. Instead, the first-to-10-points format only comes into play when the final set reaches 6-6.

The Grand Slam Board announced the implementation of the super tiebreak across all major tournaments, initially on a trial basis, in March 2022.

Super tiebreaks are alternatively known as ‘10-point tiebreaks’. When used instead of a final set, they are also referred to as ‘match tiebreaks’.

Is the super tiebreak used in the Olympic singles tournaments?

No. In both men’s and women’s singles tennis at Paris 2024, a seven-point tiebreak is used at the end of every set, including the decisive third set.