What is Love in Tennis?

If you've ever watched a tennis match, you've probably heard the umpire announce "love-all" before the opening point or "15-love" after the first rally. For many newcomers, the term can be confusing. Why does tennis use the word "love" instead of simply saying zero?

The answer lies in one of sport's oldest and most distinctive scoring traditions.

What does "love" mean?

In tennis, love simply means a score of zero. At the beginning of every game, both players start at love-all, meaning neither player has won a point.

As points are played, "love" remains part of the score until a player wins their first point.

For example:

• Love-all = 0-0
• 15-love = Server leads 1 point to 0
• Love-15 = Receiver leads 1 point to 0
• 30-love = Server leads by two points
• Love-40 = Receiver is one point away from winning the game

Unlike other sports where zero is simply called zero, tennis has preserved this unique terminology for centuries.

When is "love" used?

The term is only used whenever one player's score is zero during a game.

Examples include:

• Love-all (0-0)
• 15-love
• 30-love
• 40-love
• Love-15
• Love-30
• Love-40

Once both players have scored at least one point, "love" disappears from the score.

For example:

• 15-15
• 30-15
• 40-30
• Deuce

When announcing the score, the server's score is always called first, regardless of who is leading.

A quick look at tennis scoring

If both players reach 40, the score becomes deuce.

From there:

• Win one point = Advantage
• Win the next consecutive point = Game
• Lose the next point = Back to deuce

This "win by two" rule often creates some of the longest and most dramatic games in professional tennis.

Why is zero called "love"?

There is no universally accepted explanation, but two theories dominate discussions among historians.

The French "L'Oeuf" Theory

One popular belief is that "love" evolved from the French word l'oeuf, meaning egg. Since an egg resembles the number zero, the theory suggests English-speaking players gradually transformed "l'oeuf" into "love."

Given that modern tennis traces its origins to France, this explanation remains popular.

Playing "For Love"

Another widely accepted theory comes from the phrase "to play for love," meaning to play simply for enjoyment rather than money or prizes. In this interpretation, a player with zero points is literally playing "for the love of the game."

While neither explanation has been definitively proven, both remain part of tennis folklore.

Why doesn't tennis just say zero?

Tradition plays a major role. Tennis is one of the oldest organized sports in the world, and many of its unique traditions, including white clothing at Wimbledon, the scoring system, and terms like "love", have survived for generations.

Rather than modernizing its language, the sport has embraced its history. Today, "love" remains one of tennis' most recognizable expressions.

Is "love" used outside individual games?

Technically, "love" refers to points within a game. However, many commentators also use it informally when discussing games or sets.

For example:

• "Five-love" instead of "5-0"
• "Three-love" instead of "3-0"

Both are widely accepted, although saying "five-zero" is equally correct.

Once you understand that "love" simply means zero, following a tennis match becomes much simpler. Whether you're watching Wimbledon, the US Open, Roland Garros, or the Australian Open, you'll quickly recognize score announcements like:

• Love-all
• 15-love
• Love-30
• 40-love

SportsLigue