How Tennis Scoring Works: Games, Sets and Tiebreaks

Tennis is one of the few sports where the scoreboard can confuse first-time viewers. Terms like love, deuce, advantage, and tiebreak often leave new fans wondering how points are actually counted.

Despite the unusual terminology, the scoring system follows a logical structure once you understand the basics.

How a tennis match is structured

Every tennis match is played in three stages:

• Points make up a game.
• Games make up a set.
• Sets determine the winner of the match.

Most professional matches are played as best of three sets, while men's singles at certain Grand Slam events may be played as best of five sets. The player who wins the required number of sets wins the match.

Tennis Points

Unlike most sports, tennis does not count points as 1, 2, 3 and 4. Instead, each game follows this sequence:

• 0 = Love
• 15
• 30
• 40
• Game

A player needs to win four points to claim a game, provided they lead by at least two points.

Why is zero called "Love"?

The exact origin remains debated, but many historians believe it comes from the French word "l'oeuf" (meaning egg), because an egg resembles the shape of zero.

What is Deuce?

If both players reach 40-40, the score becomes deuce. At deuce, a player cannot simply win the next point to take the game.

Instead, they must:

1. Win one point to gain advantage.
2. Win the following point to win the game.

If they lose the next point after gaining advantage, the score returns to deuce.

There is no limit to how many times players can return to deuce during a game.

What does Advantage mean?

Advantage is awarded after winning the first point following deuce.

There are two types:

• Advantage in - the server wins the point.
• Advantage out - the receiver wins the point.

Only by winning the next point can that player secure the game.

How players win points

A point can be won by:

• Hitting a shot your opponent cannot return.
• Forcing an opponent to hit the ball out.
• Making your opponent hit into the net.
• Benefiting from a double fault.
• Watching the ball bounce twice on your opponent's side.

How sets are won

A player wins a set by winning six games, but they must finish at least two games ahead.

Examples of winning scores include:

• 6-0
• 6-2
• 6-4

If the score reaches 6-5, play continues because the margin is only one game.

What happens at 6-6?

If both players win six games each, a tiebreak is played. Unlike regular games, tiebreaks use normal numerical scoring, 1, 2, 3, etc.

The first player to reach seven points, while leading by at least two points, wins both the tiebreak and the set. If necessary, play continues beyond seven until someone establishes a two-point advantage.

Examples:

• 7-5
• 8-6
• 10-8

Players also switch ends of the court every six points during a tiebreak.

How matches are won

Most professional matches are played as:

• Best of 3 sets (first to win two sets)
• Best of 5 sets (first to win three sets at selected Grand Slam men's singles events)

For example:

• 6-4, 6-3
• 6-7, 7-5, 6-2
• 6-3, 4-6, 7-6

Serving Rules

Every game begins with one player serving. Important serving terms include:

Service Game

A game in which a player serves throughout.

Hold of Serve

When the server wins their own service game.

Break of Serve

When the receiver wins the opponent's service game.

Break Point

A point where the receiver is one point away from breaking serve.

Alternative Scoring Formats

No-Ad Scoring

Instead of repeated deuces, the player who wins the next point at deuce immediately wins the game. This format is often used in doubles and shorter competitions.

Match Tiebreak (Super Tiebreak)

Rather than playing a full deciding set, some competitions use a first-to-10-points tiebreak (win by two). This is common in doubles events.

Pro Set

Some exhibition or junior competitions play one extended set to eight games instead of six.

Why Tennis uses 15, 30 and 40

Although the exact origins remain uncertain, historians believe early tennis scoring used a clock face. Each point advanced the hand by 15 minutes:

• 15
• 30
• 45

Later, 45 became 40 to make announcing "advantage" simpler after deuce.

Key Tennis Scoring Terms

While tennis scoring may seem unusual at first, it quickly becomes intuitive once you understand the progression from points to games, games to sets, and sets to matches.

Whether you're watching Wimbledon, the US Open, the ATP Tour or the WTA Tour, knowing how the scoring works makes every rally, deuce and tiebreak far more exciting.