The Point Sequence: 0, 15, 30, 40, Game
Tennis is the only major sport that doesn't count points 1, 2, 3, 4. Instead, the four points needed to win a game are called 0, 15, 30, 40, game. Zero is called "love" — almost certainly from the French l'œuf ("the egg"), describing the shape of a zero. So a score of 30-0 is announced as "thirty-love."
Each point is a single rally. The server bounces the ball, serves into the opposite service box, and the rally continues until one player either fails to return the ball into the correct part of the opponent's court, lets the ball bounce twice, or commits a fault. That player loses the point.
Winning a Game
To win a game you have to be the first to win 4 points with a margin of at least 2. The simplest winning sequence is 4-0 ("game to love"). A 4-1 or 4-2 game also wins comfortably.
The complication is what happens when both players reach 40 — score 40-40. That's called deuce. From deuce, a player must win two consecutive points to win the game. Winning the first one gives them advantage; winning the next ends the game. If their opponent wins the next point instead, the score returns to deuce, and the sequence restarts.
Deuce can theoretically continue forever. The longest recorded game in pro tennis history featured 37 consecutive deuces (Fawcett vs. Glass, 1975).
Winning a Set
A set is won by the first player to 6 games with at least a 2-game lead. The simplest set scores are 6-0 ("bagel"), 6-1, 6-2, 6-3, or 6-4. A score of 5-5 means the set is still alive — the players continue, and a winning score becomes 7-5 or 7-6.
If the set reaches 6-6, players don't keep playing games indefinitely. Instead, they play a tiebreak — a sudden-death sequence where the first to 7 points (with a 2-point margin) wins the tiebreak and the set, which is recorded as 7-6.
Winning a Match
How many sets you need to win a match depends on the format:
- Best of 3 sets — first to 2 sets wins. Used for all ATP tour matches, all WTA matches (including Grand Slams), all qualifying rounds, all doubles matches, and the Olympic gold-medal match.
- Best of 5 sets — first to 3 sets wins. Used only for men's Grand Slam singles matches (Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, US Open) and historically some Davis Cup matches.
See our full breakdown at how many sets in a tennis match.
A Complete Game Example
Imagine Player A is serving to Player B. Here's how a game might unfold:
- Player A wins the first point → score: 15-0 (announced "fifteen-love")
- Player B wins the next → 15-15 ("fifteen all")
- Player A wins → 30-15
- Player B wins → 30-30 ("thirty all")
- Player B wins → 30-40 ("break point" — receiver one point from winning the server's game)
- Player A wins → 40-40 (deuce)
- Player A wins → advantage A
- Player B wins → back to deuce
- Player A wins → advantage A
- Player A wins → game A
This is one game. Player A has now won 1-0 in games. The set continues until someone reaches 6 games with a 2-game lead, or 7-6 via tiebreak.
Scoring Variations You'll See
Several formats deviate from the traditional ad-scoring system:
- No-ad scoring — at 40-40, a single deciding point is played instead of advantage. Used in all ATP/WTA doubles, in NCAA college tennis, and in many club leagues.
- FAST4 — first to 4 games with a tiebreak at 3-3, no-ad scoring, no lets on serve. Used in some exhibition events.
- Match tiebreak — a 10-point tiebreak replaces an entire deciding set. Common in doubles at ATP/WTA tour events.
- Pro set — first to 8 games (with a tiebreak at 8-8) replaces best-of-three. Used in some amateur tournaments.