Tennis Scoring Explained: Love, Deuce, Ad, and the Rest

Tennis scoring is the most absurd part of the sport. Football has 0, 1, 2, 3. Cricket has runs. Tennis has 15, 30, 40, deuce, advantage, sets, tiebreaks, and the unique invention of calling zero "love". This guide explains how it actually works, from the first point of a game to the last set of a match.

The game

A tennis game is a sequence of points played between one server and one returner. The server hits the same way the whole game; sides only swap after each completed game. To win a game you need to win four points, with a margin of at least two over your opponent.

Point names, in order:

• Love: zero points.
• 15: one point.
• 30: two points.
• 40: three points.
• Game: four points, if you are at least two ahead.

Origin theory: the 15-30-40 numbers came from medieval clock faces in early French versions of the game. The "40" should really be 45 but someone rounded down 600 years ago and it stuck. The "love" is probably from the French "l'oeuf" (egg) shaped like a zero. Possibly. Nobody is certain. Tennis is old.

The server says the score, server's score first

Before each point, the server calls the score out loud. Server's score first, then returner's. "15-30" means the server has one point and the returner has two. "40-love" means the server has three and the returner has none.

Deuce and advantage

If both players reach 40 (i.e. 3 points each), the score is called deuce. From deuce, you do not win the game on the next point. You need to win two in a row.

The first point won from deuce is called advantage (often shortened to "ad"). The score is announced as "ad in" if the server wins it ("ad-in" stands for advantage to the in-server) or "ad out" if the returner wins it.

Two paths from advantage:

• 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.

Deuce can theoretically go on forever. Two players in 2010 played a 70-68 final set at Wimbledon (Isner vs Mahut) where deuce was reached more than 100 times across the match.

The set

A set is a sequence of games. To win a set you need to win at least six games, with a margin of at least two over your opponent. So 6-0, 6-1, 6-2, 6-3, and 6-4 all win you the set.

If both players reach six games (6-6), most formats play a tiebreak.

The tiebreak

A tiebreak is a mini-game played to 7 points (with a 2-point margin). It uses simple numbers: 1, 2, 3, 4, not the absurd 15-30-40 system.

How it works:

• Player A serves the first point.
• Player B serves the next two points.
• Then players alternate serving two points each.
• Players switch ends after every six points (after 1-5, 7-11, etc).
• First to 7 with a 2-point lead wins.

If the tiebreak is 6-6, you keep playing until someone is 2 ahead. So 9-7, 12-10, etc. are all valid tiebreak scores.

The tiebreak winner wins the set 7-6.

The match

A match is a series of sets. The most common formats:

• Best of 3 sets: first to two sets wins. Standard for social play, women's pro events, and most amateur competition.
• Best of 5 sets: first to three sets wins. Used in men's Grand Slam matches.
• 1 set match: first to a single set. Common in club social rotations.
• Pro set: first to 8 or 10 games. Common in college and some doubles formats.

Modern variations

Tennis Australia and others have pushed shorter formats to make social play faster and more accessible:

No-ad scoring

Skips the deuce-advantage dance. At 40-40 (called "deciding point" instead of deuce), the next point wins the game. The receiver chooses which side to receive from. Common in doubles and Fast4.

Fast4

Tennis Australia's short-form invention. First to four games wins the set instead of six. No advantage scoring. Lets at the service line are played. We have a full guide to Fast4 here.

Super tiebreak

Instead of a third set, play a single first-to-10 tiebreak (with a 2-point margin). Saves time. Common in doubles and most adult amateur events.

Common confusions

"Why does the umpire say 'forty all' and not 'thirty-all'?"

"All" means the score is tied. "Thirty all" means both players have 30. "Forty all" means both have 40, which is also called deuce. Both phrases are technically correct.

"Why is it 'love' and not 'zero' or 'nil'?"

Convention. Probably from the French "l'oeuf" meaning egg, shape of a zero. Anyone who says "zero" instead of "love" sounds like they have never watched tennis.

"What is a let?"

A let is when a serve hits the top of the net and still lands in the correct service box. The point is replayed. The server gets another first serve. (In Fast4 the let is in play; no replay.)

"What is a fault?"

A serve that misses the service box, goes into the net, or lands wide. The server gets a second attempt. Two faults in a row is a double fault and the point goes to the returner.

"What is a foot fault?"

The server steps on or over the baseline while serving. Counted as a fault. Most social players never enforce this. Mixed feelings about that.

The shortest possible match score

Best of 3 sets, no tiebreaks needed, won 6-0 6-0. Twelve games. Even in a fully bagelled match (6-0 6-0), the loser has to win at least eight points spread across those twelve games, because the server cannot lose a game without losing at least one point.

The longest professional match was an 11-hour, 5-minute marathon (Isner-Mahut, Wimbledon 2010), final set 70-68. Yes, really. Don't bet against tennis scoring producing strange numbers.

Quick reference card

Cut this out and tape it to your racket bag:

• 0 = love. 1 point = 15. 2 = 30. 3 = 40.
• Tied at 40 = deuce. Win next point = advantage. Win point at advantage = game.
• First to 6 games (by 2) = set. 6-6 = tiebreak.
• Tiebreak: simple numbers, first to 7 by 2.
• Best of 3 sets is the social default.

That is the whole scoring system. Two weeks of regular play and you will never think about it again. For the variations and short formats, see our guide on Fast4 tennis or browse the rest of the RallyHub blog.