Several tiebreaks have been attributed as the longest tiebreak in tennis.
Match tie-breaks (also referred to as supertiebreakers or champions tie-breaks), where a single game is used to decide a match when the score is one set all, have been in general use in doubles matches on the professional tours since the early 2000s. Although it had previously been used occasionally in tournaments affected by bad weather, from the beginning of 2019 the "10 point" match tie-break also became the official method of deciding singles qualifying matches which had reached one set all in ITF tournaments. From the beginning of 2023, when $40,000 tournaments were added to the ITF women's calendar, this rule was changed to apply only to $15,000 and $25,000 ($30,000 from January 1st 2025) tournaments, with all higher-ranked events reverting to the best of three tie-break sets.
Starting from the 2022 French Open, a rule change was agreed to by every Grand Slam tournament, as well as the Olympic Games from 2024, that a 10-point (rather than 7 point) tie-break would be played once the deciding set became tied at 6 games all.
Men's singles Overall In August 2013, at the $10,000 Men’s Futures tournament qualifications in Zlatibor, Serbia, Marko Rajic defeated Sasa Vidojevic in a 78-point tiebreak 7–6 (40–38) 6–3. Despite the match being played without any chair umpire or any lines people, its score has been verified by the ITF and ATP In January 2013, at the $10,000 Men's Futures tournament qualifications in Plantation, Florida, Benjamin Balleret defeated Guillaume Couillard in a 70-point tiebreak 7–6(36–34), 6–1. Despite the match being played without any chair umpire or any lines people, its score has been verified by the ITF and ATP. Both players were part of the Monaco Davis Cup team. In 23 January 2016, at the $25,000 Kazakhstan F1 Men's Futures tournament in Aktobe, Evgenii Tiurnev defeated Danilo Petrovićin a 48-point tiebreak, 7–6(25–23), 6–3 in the final.
Grand Slam events Wimbledon Björn Borg defeated Premjit Lall 6–3, 6–4, 9–8(20–18) in the first round of the men's singles in 1973. John McEnroe and Borg took over 20 minutes to complete a fourth set tiebreaker in the 1980 men's singles final, with McEnroe winning 18–16. Borg eventually won the match 1–6, 7–5, 6–3, 6–7(16–18), 8–6. John Isner won 19–17 in a first set tiebreaker against Jarkko Nieminen in the second round in 2014, eventually winning the match 7–6(19–17), 7–6(7–3), 7–5. Alexander Zverev won 17–15 in a third-set tiebreaker against Cameron Norrie in the third round in 2024, winning the match 6–4, 6–4, 7–6(17–15). Matteo Berrettini won the second set 7–6(18–16) against Stan Wawrinka in the first round in 2026.
US Open Goran Ivanišević and Daniel Nestor played a 20–18 tiebreaker in their 1993 US Open first round match, won by Ivanišević 6–4, 7–6(7–5), 7–6(20–18). Ken Flach won the deciding tie-break 17–15 over Darren Cahill during their second round match at the 1987 US Open. Flach survived 1–6, 6–4, 3–6, 6–1, 7–6 saving five match points. Novak Djokovic won the first-set tiebreaker 16–14 over Alexandr Dolgopolov during their fourth round matchup at the 2011 US Open. Djokovic won the match in straight sets 7–6(16–14), 6–4, 6–2, and eventually the tournament. In the 2012 US Open men's singles final, Andy Murray won the first set tiebreaker against Djokovic 12–10, which was the longest tiebreak in a US Open final, and went on to win the match 7–6(12–10), 7–5, 2–6, 3–6, 6–2.
Australian Open Jo-Wilfried Tsonga won a tiebreaker 20–18 in his first round match against Andy Roddick at the 2007 Australian Open, but Roddick eventually won the match, 6–7(18–20), 7–6(7–2), 6–3, 6–3. Pedro Martínez won a tie break 17–15 in his first round match against Federico Delbonis at the 2022 Australian Open. Martinez won 7–6(17–15), 3–6, 6–4, 6–2. Rafael Nadal 16–14 in a first-set tiebreaker against Adrian Mannarino in the fourth round in 2022, Nadal eventually won 7–6(16–14), 6–2, 6–2.
French Open Lorenzo Sonego won the third set tiebreaker 19–17 against Taylor Fritz in their third round match at the 2020 French Open. Sonego won 7–6(7–5), 6–3, 7–6(19–17). The previous longest tie-break at French Open: 16–14 (twice)
Other long tiebreakers Aki Rahunen won a 24–22 first set tiebreak against Peter Nyborg in the first round of qualifying of the 1992 Copenhagen Open, going on to win the match 7–6(24–22), 2–6, 6–3. Reilly Opelka won a 24–22 second set tiebreak against John Isner in the semifinals of the 2022 Dallas Open, winning the match 7–6(9–7), 7–6(24–22). Opelka won on his eighth match point, the first coming at 7–6, and saved 10 set points from Isner, the first of which had come at 6–5. Gary Lugassy won a 22–20 second set tiebreak against Igor Zelenay in the first round of the 2008 BH Telecom Indoors, setting the record for the longest main draw tiebreak at an ATP Challenger Tour event. The final score was 6–2, 7–6(22–20). Guillermo Olaso won a 22–20 first set tiebreak against Evgeny Karlovskiy in the final qualifying round of the 2018 RBC Tennis Championships of Dallas, equalling the longest tie break in a Challenger event (as above). Romain Faucon won 22–20 in a deciding set tie-break against Max Wiskandt in the first round of a $15k ITF tournament in Manacor on January 10, 2024, winning the match 3–6, 7–6(7–2), 7–6(22–20). Valentin Royer won a 21–19 second set tiebreak against Arthur Cazaux in the second round of qualifying for the 2022 Open International de Tennis de Roanne. He won on his 12th set point, having saved four match points from Cazaux, and went on to win the match 6–7(3–7), 7–6(21–19), 6–3. The tie-break lasted 32 minutes and 44 seconds, Royer winning the final 16 shot rally with a backhand volley. Goran Ivanišević won a 20–18 deciding set tiebreak against Greg Rusedski in the semifinals of the 1997 Stella Artois Championships at Queen's Club. Roger Federer and Marat Safin played a tiebreaker that lasted 26 minutes in the semifinals of the 2004 Tennis Masters Cup in Houston. Federer won the match 6–3, 7–6(20–18). José Acasuso won 20–18 in a deciding set tiebreak against Björn Phau in the first round of the 2006 Rogers Masters in Canada. Andy Murray won 20–18 in a second-set tiebreak against Philipp Kohlschreiber in the quarterfinals of the 2017 Dubai Open in Dubai. The tiebreak lasted 31 minutes, and featured a rule-breaking moment when both players and the umpire forgot to change ends at 15–15. Gijs Brouwer won 20–18 in a deciding set tiebreak against Alen Avidzba in the second round of the 2019 $25k USTA Men's Pro Tennis Championships of Calabasas in Calabasas, California, USA. Leonardo Mayer won 20–18 in a second-set tiebreak against Marco Cecchinato in the first round of the 2020 ASB Classic in Auckland, but Cecchinato won the match, 7–6(8–6), 6–7(18–20), 7–6(7–2). Ryan Storrie won 20–18 in a second set tiebreak against Alexis Gautier in the first round of a $25k ITF tournament in Sunderland on January 16, 2024, winning the match 6–3, 7–6(20–18). Saba Purtseladze won 19–17 in a second set tie-break against Marcello Serafini in a semifinal at the $15k tournament in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, on October 8, 2022, winning the match 6–2, 7–6(19–17). He won on his fifth match point, having saved five set points against him. Paul Jubb won 19–17 in a final set tiebreak against Ernesto Escobedo in the first round of the 2022 Knoxville Challenger, winning the match 6–4, 3–6, 7–6(19–17). He won on his sixth match point, having saved seven against him. Elijah Strode won 19–17 in a first set tie-break against Nick Chappell in the first round at the $25k ITF tournament in Xalapa, Mexico, on April 30, 2024, but Chappell won the match 6–7(17–19), 6–3, 6–4. Grégoire Barrère lost the first set tie-break 17–19 when he played Valentin Royer in the quarter-final of the All In Open Challenger in Lyon, France, on November 14, 2024, but went on to win the match 6–7(17–19), 6–3, 7–6(7–5). Philipp Kohlschreiber won 18–16 in a deciding set tiebreak against Dustin Brown in the quarterfinals of the 2014 Gerry Weber Open in Halle. Gilles Müller won 18–16 in a second set tiebreak against John Isner in the second round of the 2016 Aegon Championships at Queen's Club. Lorenzo Frigerio won 18–16 in a second set tie-break against Corentin Denolly in the second round of the 2019 $15k Internationaux de Bressuire, and went on to win the match 6–7(5–7), 7–6(18–16), 6–3. Christopher Eubanks won 18–16 in a second-set tiebreak against Ryan Harrison in the first round of qualifying at the 2021 Hall of Fame Open in Newport, Rhode Island, USA, but Harrison won the match, 7–6(7–4), 6–7(16–18), 7–6(10–8). Eubanks took the second set on his fourth set point, having saved five match points in the tie-break. Harrison needed two more match points in the third set tie-break before completing the win, having saved a match point from Eubanks at 7–8. Mattias Southcombe won 18–16 in a second set tie-break against Alex Knaff in the first round of qualifying at the $15k tournament in Monastir, Tunisia, on September 12, 2021, and went on to win the match 2–6, 7–6(18–16), [10–7]. Adam Jones won 18–16 in a second set tie-break against Andrés Urrea in the second round of qualifying at the $15k tournament in Cancún, Mexico, on October 4, 2021, winning the match 6–0, 7–6(18–16). Ethan Quinn won 18–16 in a second set tie-break against Juan Pablo Grassi Mazzuchi in the second round of qualifying at the $25k tournament in Austin, Texas, USA, on November 16, 2021, but Grassi Mazzuchi went on to win the match 7–6(7–3), 6–7(16–18), [10–7]. Arthur Rinderknech won 18–16 in a deciding set tie-break against Pablo Carreño Busta in a quarter-final at the Gijón Open on October 14, 2022, winning the match 4–6, 6–3, 7–6(18–16). He won on his sixth match point, having saved nine match points against him, the first two of which came in the tenth game of the final set. Max Batyutenko won 18–16 in a first set tie-break against Issei Okamura in the second round of qualifying at the $15k tournament in Aktobe, Kazakhstan, on February 28, 2023, and went on to win the match 7–6(18–16), 4–6, [10–7].
Longest match tie-break Ugo Blanchet defeated Edoardo Graziani 6–0, 3–6, [23–21] in the third and final round of qualifying in the $25k tournament in Faro, Portugal, on March 2, 2021. Graziani had the first two match points at 9–7 in the tie-break, and had a further five before Blanchet won on his eighth match point. Graziani lost the last point with an unforced error by smashing the ball to the net. Graziani then got through to the main draw as a Lucky Loser.
Other long match tie-breaks Leonardo Aboian defeated Tristan Boyer 6–3, 4–6, [22–20] in the second round of qualifying at the $15k tournament in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on April 30, 2019. Ivan La Cava defeated Credit Chaiyarin 6–2, 3–6, [22–20] in the first round of qualifying at the $15k tournament in Antalya, Turkey, on March 12, 2023. Han Cheng defeated Zhao Zhao 2–6, 6–4, [21–19] in the first round of qualifying at the $25k tournament in Shenzhen, China, on June 10, 2019. Each player had six match points in the decider. Carles Hernández defeated Sergi Pérez Contri 6–7(3–7), 6–4, [21–19] in the first round of qualifying at the $25k tournament in Getxo, Spain, on July 3, 2022. Alexandre Aubriot defeated Leo Raquillet 6–3, 4–6, [21–19] in the second round of qualifying at the $15k tournament in Grenoble, France, on February 5, 2024. Florian Lakat defeated Wilson Leite 4–6, 6–4, [20–18] in the first round of qualifying at the $25k tournament in Palm Coast, Florida, United States, on February 3, 2020. Lawrence Bataljin defeated Kosuke Ogura 6–1, 5–7, [20–18] in the first round of qualifying at the $15k tournament in Cairo, Egypt, on April 11, 2021.