How does tennis scoring work?

Points: love, 15, 30, 40

Every game is scored in points, but tennis uses its own words instead of 1-2-3:

The server's score is always said first — so “30–15” means the server has two points, the returner one.

Deuce and advantage

If both players reach 40, the score is deuce. From deuce you must win two points in a row to win the game:

• Win the point after deuce and you have the advantage.
• Win the next point too and you win the game.
• Lose it and the score goes back to deuce — and so on until someone leads by two.

Some formats use no-ad scoring: at deuce a single deciding point is played, and the returner chooses which side to receive.

Games make a set

Win a game and you are one game closer to the set. To win a set you need six games and a lead of at least two (6–4 and 6–3 win the set; 6–5 does not — you play on). If it reaches 6–6, you play a tie-break.

The tie-break

A tie-break decides a 6–6 set. Players score in normal numbers (1, 2, 3…) and the first to 7 points, winning by two, takes the tie-break and the set 7–6. Serve rotates: the first server plays one point, then serve alternates every two points, and players change ends every six points.

Sets make a match

A match is usually best of three sets (first to two sets wins). Men's Grand Slam singles are best of five. Final-set rules vary: many events now play a 10-point match tie-break to decide the final set.

Why is tennis scored 15–30–40?

Nobody is completely certain, but the most popular theory is the clock face: points were once marked by moving a hand around a clock — 15, 30, 45 — and “45” was shortened to “40” over time (leaving room for “advantage” before the hand reached 60/game). “Love” for zero is often linked to the French l'œuf (“the egg”, i.e. an oval zero), or simply to playing “for love” — for nothing.