The short answer is that it depends on which draw you’re watching. Men’s singles at the US Open is best-of-five sets. Women’s singles is best-of-three. Every doubles event is best-of-three. That split has existed at the Grand Slams for well over a century, and the US Open is no exception.
What trips people up is everything around the edges — tiebreaks, the final set, and why a men’s match can last five hours while a women’s match on the same court finishes in seventy minutes.
| Event | Format | Sets needed to win | Typical length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men’s singles | Best of 5 | 3 | 2–4 hours; five-setters can exceed 5 |
| Women’s singles | Best of 3 | 2 | 70 minutes to 2.5 hours |
| Men’s doubles | Best of 3 | 2 | Around 90 minutes |
| Women’s doubles | Best of 3 | 2 | Around 90 minutes |
| Junior singles | Best of 3 | 2 | Boys and girls alike |
| Wheelchair singles | Best of 3 | 2 | Two bounces permitted |
How a Set Is Won
A set goes to the first player to win six games, provided they lead by two. At 6-5 the leader can serve out the set; at 6-6 the set goes to a tiebreak, first to seven points with a two-point margin. That tiebreak has been part of the US Open longer than anywhere else — the tournament introduced it in 1970, well ahead of the other majors.
| Situation | What happens |
|---|---|
| Set reaches 6-6 | Standard tiebreak, first to 7, win by 2 |
| Final set reaches 6-6 | 10-point tiebreak, win by 2 (fifth set for men, third for women) |
| Game reaches deuce | Advantage scoring — win two consecutive points |
| Set ends 7-5 or 6-4 | No tiebreak needed; the two-game margin is enough |
The Final-Set Rule, Explained
This is the part that changed most recently. Historically each Grand Slam handled a deadlocked final set differently — Wimbledon and the Australian Open played on indefinitely until someone led by two games, which is how the 2010 Isner-Mahut match reached 70-68 in the fifth. The US Open was the outlier that always used a tiebreak.
In 2022 all four majors adopted one standard: at 6-6 in the deciding set, a 10-point tiebreak settles it, won by two clear points. So a men’s match at Flushing Meadows can now end at 7-6(10-8) in the fifth, and a women’s match at 7-6(10-8) in the third. No more marathon final sets anywhere on the calendar. For the tournament calendar, see our 2026 US Open schedule; official rules are at USOpen.org.
Why Men Play Five and Women Play Three
It is a historical convention rather than a rule anyone recently justified. Best-of-five for men dates to the nineteenth century; women’s Grand Slam singles has been best-of-three throughout the Open Era. The WTA has at various points discussed best-of-five for finals, and the men’s tour plays best-of-three everywhere except the majors and Davis Cup ties, so the format is not as fixed as it looks. What has changed is the money: prize money at the US Open has been equal for men and women since 1973, regardless of sets played.
The Bottom Line
Men’s singles is best of five, first to three sets. Women’s singles and all doubles are best of three, first to two. Any set tied at 6-6 goes to a tiebreak — first to seven in a normal set, first to ten in the deciding set, always by a margin of two. That final-set rule has been uniform across all four Grand Slams since 2022.