What are no-ad scoring and the match tie-break?
I · Intermediate · How do you score and win? · 1 of 8Checked 13 October 2026
The rules approve shorter formats that an event may choose. No-ad scoring plays one deciding point at deuce. A match tiebreak, to seven or ten points, replaces the final set. Short sets are first to four games. Doubles on the professional tours commonly uses no-ad scoring with a 10-point match tie-break.
How it works
| Format | What it changes |
|---|---|
| No-ad scoring | At deuce, one deciding point. The receiver chooses which side to receive from. In mixed doubles, the player of the same gender as the server receives |
| Short sets | First to four games, two clear; a tie-break at 4-4 (or 3-3 if the organiser chooses) |
| Short-set tie-break | First to five points, with a deciding point at 4-4 |
| Match tie-break to 7 | Replaces the final set at one set all (or two sets all); two clear |
| Match tie-break to 10 | The same, to ten points; two clear |
| Final-set tie-break to 10 | At 6-6 in the final set, a tie-break to ten; two clear |
| No-let rule | A serve that touches the net and lands in is in play |
- Before a match tie-break there is a 120-second break, and the serving order carries on.
Tricky cases
Is a "super tie-break" in the rules?
Yes, under another name. The rules call it a match tie-break to ten points.
At a no-ad deciding point, who chooses the side?
The receiver, or the receiving team. In doubles they cannot swap positions for it.
Why the rule exists
Shorter formats make match lengths more predictable for schedules and television, and suit junior and club play.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Any event that announces them | As above | App VI |
| 10 and under tennis | Smaller courts and slower balls | App VIII |
From the rule book
ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Appendix VI. Checked 13 October 2026. Official document: ITF Rules of Tennis (PDF).