Tennis Legends - Having different tie-break rules between tournaments is crazy and has to change

McEnroe and Becker are largely in favour of the first-to-ten system that the Australian Open has introduced, but says that all tournaments need to have the same rules.

The French Open comes in for particular criticism due to its lack of modernisation.

Read the full conversation below...

MW: The first thing we’re going to discuss is the biggest rule change, I think, with the super tie-breaker. So at two sets all in the men’s draw, six games all, in the Australian Open we now play a tie-breaker first to ten, while on the regular sets it’s obviously first to seven. With the women, at one-set all-you play a tie-breaker first to ten. Elder statesmen here: what do you think?

JM: Well first of all I think anyone who’s listened to me at all, maybe not too many people have over the course of the 25 years or so I’ve been doing commentating, will know I’ve been pushing for tie-breakers. I think the tie-break rule at the US Open was great, at 6-6 in the fifth set I think both players have exhausted what they’ve got in the tank and fans should appreciate the effort these guys have put in. And to take it further, it ends up with guys that are tired and somebody makes too many errors and the match ends.

I think that progress is being made, I like the ten point one the most, but I think the most important thing is to get it at six-all. Boris, what do you think?

BB: What do you make of the Wimbledon rule change, that it’s not at 6-6 but at 12-12? Isn’t that just prolonging it for no reason, or is that because it’s grass and it’s easier to hold serve but the surfaces are quicker? I’m not quite sure why.

JM: It could be a little bit of that. I think the courts are slower than they’ve ever been obviously, since they changed the grass 15 or so years ago. So I think at that point I would still push for 6-6. I think they should have the same rules, dare I say, for all four majors. I mean, is that too much to ask?! Come on!

MW: No, I agree that there should be a tiebreaker, but can I ask a quick question to you, John – what’s the longest tennis match you ever played?

JM: The longest tennis match I ever played was against you two guys. I’m not sure which one was longer. I played over six hours against you in Davies Cup.

MW: No tie-breakers.

JM: I won that one, but lost to Boris in six hours and 20 minutes. I believe yours was six hours 15 or something, so I never want to go through that again.

BB: I have a question for you, Mats. On clay do they also have the rule change for the French Open?

MW: Not yet, no. I believe clay is still long sets.

JM: No tie-breakers at the French, they haven’t changed anything yet.

MW: They should change that.

JM: Nor have they gotten a roof yet.

MW: On tie-breakers I agree with both of you.