The Hierarchy of Tennis Scoring
Tennis scoring works in three nested levels: points form games, games form sets, and sets form the match. Understanding each level is essential.
Level 1: Points — The Smallest Unit
Every rally ends with one player winning a point. Instead of using 1, 2, 3, 4 — tennis uses a historical system based on the numbers 15, 30, and 40:
| Points Won | Score Called | Nickname |
|---|---|---|
| 0 points | Love | Zero |
| 1 point | 15 | – |
| 2 points | 30 | – |
| 3 points | 40 | – |
| 4 points (win) | Game | – |
The origin is debated. One popular theory is that it comes from the French word "l'oeuf" (meaning "the egg," which looks like a zero). Another theory is that it comes from the phrase "playing for love" — meaning playing for no reward when you have no score. Whatever the origin, "love" simply means zero in tennis.
Why 15, 30, 40 and Not 1, 2, 3?
The most likely historical explanation is that early tennis used a clock face to track scores. Each point moved the hand 15 minutes around the face (15, 30, 45, 60 = game). "45" was later shortened to "40" to allow room for "advantage" scoring (40-all = deuce, then 45 = advantage, then 60 = game).
Calling the Score
When the server announces the score, they always say their own score first, then the receiver's score. Examples:
- "30-15" means the server has 30 points, the receiver has 15.
- "Love-40" means the server has 0 points, the receiver has 40 — a very bad situation for the server!
- "40-Love" means the server has 40 points, the receiver has 0 — triple match/game point for the server!
Deuce and Advantage
If both players reach 40-40, this is called deuce (from the French "deux" meaning two — because you need to win two consecutive points to win the game).
From deuce:
- If the server wins the next point: Advantage server (or "Ad-In")
- If the receiver wins the next point: Advantage receiver (or "Ad-Out")
- If the player with advantage wins the next point: they win the game
- If the player without advantage wins the next point: the score returns to deuce
This deuce-advantage cycle can repeat indefinitely. Some professional matches have had games that went to deuce 30 or more times before someone finally won it.
Some competitions use a "no-advantage" (no-ad) format where, at deuce, the next point decides the game. The receiver gets to choose which side of the court the deciding point is served from. This is common in doubles and team competitions to speed up matches.
Level 2: Games — Winning a Set
To win a set, a player must win 6 games with a lead of at least 2 games over their opponent. So:
- 6-0, 6-1, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 all result in a set being won (the player with 6 wins the set).
- If the score reaches 6-5, play continues until someone wins 7-5, OR the score reaches 6-6, at which point a tiebreak is usually played.
The Tiebreak
When a set reaches 6-6 in games, most sets are decided by a tiebreak — a special mini-game played to 7 points (you must win by 2 points). The player who wins the tiebreak wins the set 7-6.
Tiebreak rules:
- The player whose turn it is to serve begins by serving one point from the right side.
- The other player then serves two points (one from the left, one from the right).
- Players continue alternating two serves each.
- The first player to reach 7 points with a 2-point lead wins the tiebreak. If the score reaches 6-6 in the tiebreak, play continues until someone leads by two.
- Players switch ends after every 6 points in the tiebreak.
In the tiebreak, scores are called numerically: 0, 1, 2, 3, etc. — not "love", "15", "30".
Match Tiebreak (Super Tiebreak)
In the final set of many professional matches and at all four Grand Slams (as of 2022), a "match tiebreak" (also called a super tiebreak or championship tiebreak) is used instead of a full set. This is played to 10 points (win by 2). The Australian Open introduced this in 2019, and Wimbledon and Roland Garros followed in 2022.
Level 3: Sets — Winning the Match
Most professional matches are played as best of three sets — the first player to win two sets wins the match. In men's singles at Grand Slams, matches are best of five sets — the first player to win three sets wins.
| Format | Sets to Win | Used In |
|---|---|---|
| Best of 3 | 2 sets | Most WTA matches, ATP non-Grand Slam, doubles |
| Best of 5 | 3 sets | Men's Grand Slams, Davis Cup |
Reading a Tennis Scoreboard
Let's decode a typical professional scoreboard. In a completed match, you might see:
This tells us: Sharapova won the first set 6-4, lost the second set 3-6, and won the third set 7-5 to take the match 2 sets to 1.
Common Score Nicknames
- Bagel — When a player wins a set 6-0 (the shape of 0 looks like a bagel)
- Breadstick — When a player wins a set 6-1
- Double bagel — Winning 6-0, 6-0
- Ace — A serve the opponent cannot touch
- Break — Winning a game when you are the receiver (breaking the server's hold)
- Hold — Winning a game as the server
- Love game — Winning a game 4-0 (without the opponent winning a point)
- Match point — A point that, if won, would end the match
- Set point — A point that, if won, would end the current set
- Break point — A point where the receiver can win the game
Quick Reference: Tennis Scoring Cheat Sheet
| Concept | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Love | Zero (0 points) |
| 15 | First point won in a game |
| 30 | Second point won in a game |
| 40 | Third point won in a game (one more wins the game) |
| Deuce | Both players at 40-40; must win by 2 |
| Advantage | Leading at 41-40 (has game point) |
| Game | Win by reaching 40 and taking the next point (or winning two points from deuce) |
| Set | First to 6 games (by 2) wins; tiebreak at 6-6 |
| Tiebreak | Mini-game to 7 points (win by 2) at 6-6 |
| Match | First to win required number of sets (usually 2 of 3 or 3 of 5) |