Tennis scoring might seem confusing at first with terms like love and the odd progression of 15, 30, 40. But it’s actually straightforward once you break it down. This guide will explain how points, games, and sets work in tennis with clear examples along the way.
Points and Games: Understanding 15, 30, 40, and “Love”
How do you score points in tennis?
In tennis, players score points by winning rallies. A rally is a sequence where players hit the ball back and forth; if you hit a shot that your opponent cannot return inbounds (or if they hit it out or into the net), you win a point. Each game starts at 0 points for both players, called “love.” From there, the score for points in a single game goes 0 (love), 15, 30, 40, and then “game” if a player wins the next point. In other words, the first point a player wins is called 15, the second is 30, the third is 40, and the fourth point wins the game (as long as the player is ahead by two points). Here’s a quick summary of the point system:
- 0 points – “Love” (meaning zero)
- 1 point – “15”
- 2 points – “30”
- 3 points – “40”
- Tied score (each side has the same points up to 30) – “All” (e.g. 15–all, 30–all)
- 40–40 (tie at three points each) – “Deuce”
- Point after deuce – “Advantage” (if won by server, “Ad-In”; if won by receiver, “Ad-Out”)
- Next point after “Advantage” wins the game (if the same player wins both advantage and the following point)
Winning a Game
To win a game, a player must win at least four points and be ahead by two points. For example, if the score is 40–30 and the player with 40 wins the next point, they win the game. If both players reach 40–40, it’s called deuce, and at that point a player needs to win two points in a row to win the game. After deuce, if you win the next point you have “advantage”. If you win the point while on advantage, you win the game; if you lose that point, the score returns to deuce. There is no limit to how many times players can go back and forth from deuce to advantage.
Tennis Scoring Example: Points within a Game
Let’s say a game starts and you win the first point – the score would be 15–0, spoken as “15–love.” If you win the next point, it becomes 30–0. Suppose your opponent wins the next two points: the score would be 30–30 (30–all). If you win the next point, it’s 40–30. One more point won by you would make it game. However, if the score reaches 40–40, that’s deuce. From deuce, you would need to win two points in a row to finish the game. If you each keep winning one point back and forth from deuce, the game might go deuce → ad-in → deuce → ad-out → deuce, and so on, until someone clinches two in a row and wins the game.
| Point Won By | Your Score | Opponent’s Score | Call Out Loud |
|---|---|---|---|
| You | 15 | 0 | 15–Love |
| You | 30 | 0 | 30–Love |
| Opponent | 30 | 15 | 30–15 |
| Opponent | 30 | 30 | 30–All |
| You | 40 | 30 | 40–30 |
| Opponent | 40 | 40 | Deuce |
| You | Ad | 40 | Advantage You |
| You | Game | 40 | Game You |
Sets: How to Win a Set in Tennis
Games are grouped into sets. So, how many games in a set of tennis? In a standard set, a player needs to win six games to win the set but must be ahead by at least two games. This means common set scores might be 6–4, 6–3, 6–2, etc. You cannot win a set 6–5 because that’s only a one-game lead. If both players win five games each, the score is 5–5; now someone must win two games in a row to take the set. If it gets to 6–6 (6–all), a special tiebreaker is usually played to decide the set.
Tiebreaker
A tiebreak (or tiebreaker game) is a mini-game used to decide a 6–6 set. In a typical tiebreak, players score points in simple numerical fashion (1, 2, 3, etc.). The first player to reach 7 points by a margin of two points wins the tiebreak and thus wins the set 7–6. (Tiebreak scores can go beyond 7 if needed until one player leads by two; you might see a tiebreak score like 8–6 or 10–8, etc.) For example, a set score of 7–6 means that set was decided by a tiebreaker.
Tennis Scoring Example: Set
Imagine you won six games and your opponent won four games in a set—the set score would be 6–4 in your favor. If in the next set your opponent wins six games and you win, say, three, that set score is 3–6 (your opponent’s favor). If a match is tied at one set each, they play a deciding set. Let’s say you then win the final set 6–3. The match score could be reported as: 6–4, 3–6, 6–3. This means you won the first set 6–4, lost the second 3–6, and won the third 6–3,thereby winning the match 2 sets to 1.
| Set | Games You Won | Games Opponent Won | Set Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | 4 | You |
| 2 | 3 | 6 | Opponent |
| 3 | 6 | 3 | You |
Matches: Best of 3 or Best of 5 Sets?
A tennis match is won by winning the majority of sets. Matches are usually played as best of three sets or best of five sets. The most common format in tennis is best of three sets – this is used in most tournaments and for all women’s matches. Men’s matches in Grand Slam tournaments (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, US Open) are typically best of five sets. Outside of the Grand Slams, men’s matches on the professional tour are also best of three sets, just like women’s.
Grand Slam Format Differences
In addition to the number of sets, Grand Slams had a unique twist for final sets. Historically, some Grand Slams did not use a tiebreak in the final set, requiring players to win by two games no matter how long it took. However, as of 2022 all four Grand Slam events agreed to use a 10-point tiebreak if the final set reaches 6–6. In other words, even in a deciding set now, a tiebreak is played (first to 10 points) to determine the winner, instead of playing games indefinitely. These changes keep matches from becoming marathon sessions while still preserving the need to win by a clear margin.
