Wimbledon to Introduce Final-Set Tiebreaks from 2019

Final-set tiebreaks will be used at Wimbledon from the 2019 tournament, the All England Lawn Tennis Club announced on Friday.

A statement on Wimbledon's official website explained that unlike normal tiebreaks that occur when a set reaches 6-6, the new policy will see the tiebreak played at 12-12 in the final set "for all Championship events."

Philip Brook, chairman of the AELTC, explained the the process behind the decision:

"In reaching this decision, the AELTC Committee sought the feedback of both players and officials, analysed two decades of match data, and considered other factors including scheduling complexities and spectator experience.

"Our view was that the time had come to introduce a tiebreak method for matches that had not reached their natural conclusion at a reasonable point during the deciding set.

"While we know the instances of matches extending deep into the final set are rare, we feel that a tie-break at 12-12 strikes an equitable balance between allowing players ample opportunity to complete the match to advantage, while also providing certainty that the match will reach a conclusion in an acceptable timeframe."

Previously, final sets at Wimbledon had no tiebreak and were only concluded after 6-6 when one player gained a two-game advantage.

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As a result, there have been some mammoth final sets in the tournament's history, including the historic clash in 2010 between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut, which finished 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (3), 70-68 in the American's favour.

The match lasted just over 11 hours and was played across three days, with the final set running to eight hours and 11 minutes.

Isner was then involved in another lengthy encounter in July's semi-final against Kevin Anderson.

The South African eventually prevailed in a two-hour-and-50-minute fifth set that finished 26-24. 

Both players called for a rule change following the record-breaking semi-final encounter, as did three-time Wimbledon champion Jonn McEnroe, who described the situation as "absurd," per Pritha Sarkar of The Independent.

Before now, the only other Grand Slam that had final-set tiebreaks was the U.S. Open, where they are played at 6-6 no matter the situation.