The Wimbledon Championship will introduce a final set tie-break at 12-12 for the first time in next year’s tournament.

The All England Lawn Tennis Club consulted with players and officials and said ‘the time has come’ to introduce the tie-break at a ‘reasonable point’ during the final set.

AELTC Chairman, Philip Brook said:

“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.”

The move will see an end to marathon matches such as John Isner’s epic 11-hour match with Nicolas Mahut in 2010, or last year’s semi final between Kevin Anderson and Isner where the final set lasted over three hours.

It will apply to all Wimbledon events - qualifying, men's, women's, mixed and junior singles and doubles although the wheelchair format will remain unchanged.

The winner will be the first player or team to reach seven points with an advantage of two or more points.

The 2019 Championship will take place between July 1 to 14.