The ATP alongside the grand slam board tries to implement newer rules in order to keep the game of tennis interesting and in accordance with the latest norms.
For instance, the Grand Slam board had previously announced that there would be an application of new tie-break rules at all the four grand slam titles, that is Australian Open, French Open, the US Open and the Wimbledon.
The new rules were applied during the Serena Williams round 1 match and the player was a bit confused.
These new rules ensure that if the score reaches 6-6 in the last set, then there will be a 10-point tie break set applicable to those players. If such a situation arises with a tie, then either of the players will have to win 10 points with an advantage of a minimum of 2 points in the set.
Hence the changes made by the Wimbledon in the Serena Williams match were mandated much more in advance in March 2022. There was an official statement released earlier which reads,
“Further to extensive consultation with the WTA, ATP, ITF and tennis officiating community, the Grand Slam Board’s 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.”
Serena Williams suffers a shock exit under the new tie-break rules at the Wimbledon
The board also confirmed that they would be reviewing these trial rules extensively to ensure that they understand how these rules work out in a full Grand Slam tournament before they make the rule to be permanent.
Earlier, each of the Grand Slams had its own rules to determine the winner of the final set of the game. Serena Williams had to go through a shock exit in the opener of the Wimbledon 2022, under the mandate of the new rules.
The American tennis superstar, who has won the Wimbledon seven-time lost to the Debutant, Harmony Tan in a tiebreak. Serena lost the first set to Harmony and then won back the second one. The third set was locked to a 6-6 draw which made the new rules come into play.
Unfortunately, Serena Williams lost the tie-break with a 10-7 which made her opponent, Harmony Tan advance to the next round.
