What Is the Tennis Score?

If you’re a fan of tennis, you probably know that the score can be a bit confusing. Here’s a quick guide to understanding what the tennis score means.

The Basics of Tennis Scoring

In tennis, a match is played best of three or best of five sets. The goal is to win enough sets to win the match. In order to win a set, you must either win six games by a margin of two games or win seven games outright. If the score reaches six games all, then a tiebreaker is played to determine the winner of the set.

Love

Love is the first point scored in a tennis game and it happens when the server wins the point before the receiver has had a chance to hit the ball. The term “love” is derived from the French l’oeuf, which means “egg.” This may be because the zero on a tennis scoreboard looks like an egg or because eggs were used as prizes in early tennis tournaments. No one is quite sure.

15

The score in tennis is decided by points. The game starts with each player having 0 points, and the winner of a point is awarded 1 point. The first player to reach 4 points wins the game, but if the score reaches 4-4 then the players are said to be ‘in deuce’ and the first player to win two consecutive points wins the game.

Tennis scoring can be confusing for newcomers to the sport, but once you understand the basic principles it’s not too difficult. In this article we’ll explain how scoring works in tennis, so that you can keep track of the action next time you’re watching or playing a match.

30

Every tennis match is comprised of points, games, and sets. When you watch a tennis match on television, you usually see the score presented as “3-6, 6-4, 7-6”, which means that in the current set, one player has won three games and the other has won six games. The first player to win six games (and be ahead by at least two) wins the set.

In tennis scoring, love means zero. So if the score is tied at 40-40 (called deuce), the next player to win a point takes the game. If that player goes on to win the next two points, he or she wins the set. If not, then play continues until one person is ahead by two points.

The first player to win six sets wins the match. A set that goes to 6-6 is called a tiebreaker set; in this case, whoever wins the next game also wins the set. To win a tiebreaker game, a player must be ahead by at least two points.

40

In tennis, the score is typically expressed as a number followed by the letter “-” and another number. For example, 3-2 would be three games to two. The number on the left represents the player who is currently ahead in the game, while the number on the right represents the player who is behind.

The lowest scoring possible in a game of tennis is 0-0, which is known as “love”. From there, each player can win up to four points in a game. The first point is won by whoever scores what is known as an “ace”. An ace is when a player serves the ball and their opponent is unable to return it before it bounces twice on their side of the court.

The second point is earned when a player wins a “deuce”. A deuce occurs when both players have scored three points each and are tied at 40-40. To win a deuce, a player must score two consecutive points, thereby earning themselves “advantage”. If their opponent then scores a point, the score reverts back to deuce. If the player with advantage goes on to win the next two points, they win the game.

In competitive matches, games are typically played best out of three or five sets. In a best out of three set match, the first player to win two sets wins the match. In a best out of five set match, the first player to win three sets wins the match. Sets are themselves played best out of seven games (i.e. first player to win four games wins the set).

Deuce

Advantage

In tennis, the score of a game is usually expressed as the total number of points won by each player. However, there is another way to express the score, known as “advantage.”

Under the advantage system, the score is expressed as either “advantage” or “deuce” instead of 1-0, 2-0, etc. The advantage system is used in professional tennis matches.

If one player has won more points than the other but has not yet won enough points to win the game, that player is said to have an “advantage.” For example, if the score is 8-7 in favor of Player A, Player A has an advantage.

If both players have won equal numbers of points (such as 40-40), then the score is said to be “deuce.” In this case, one more point must be played in order for one of the players to win the game.

Game

In tennis, a game consists of a sequence of points played with the same player serving. A game is won by the first player to have won at least four points in total and at least two points more than the opponent. The running score of each game is described in a manner peculiar to tennis: scores from zero to three points are described as “love”, “15”, “30”, and “40”, respectively. If at least three points have been scored by each player, and the scores are equal, the score is described as “deuce”. If at least three points have been scored by each side and a player has one more point than his opponent, the score of the game is “advantage” for the player in the lead. During informal games, “advantage” can also be called “ad-in” or “van in” when the serving player is ahead, and “ad-out” or “van out” when the receiver is ahead.

Tiebreaker

If the score reaches 6 games all, the tiebreaker is played. The player whose turn it is to serve takes the first point and serves from the ad court. The opponent then serves from the deuce court. If the server wins the point, he or she scores a point and continues to serve. If the receiver wins the point, the score is still tied and the receiver becomes the server. Service is alternated between games.

First to Seven Points

After the first player to win four points wins the game, a player must win by two points. If the score reaches deuce, then the next point wins the game. If one player wins six points and the other five, a tiebreaker is played to decide the winner. The tiebreaker is usually played to seven points, and the winner is the first player to take a two-point lead.

First to Ten Points

The rules of tennis have changed over the years, but one thing has remained the same: The basic scoring system. A game of tennis is played to four points, and the person who earns those four points first wins the game.

If both players have won three points each, then the score is “deuce” and either player can win the game by winning two consecutive points.

In a “tennis tiebreaker,” also called a “sudden death tiebreaker,” there is no deuce. The first player to score ten points wins the game, even if her opponent has only scored nine.

Match

In tennis, a match is the basic unit of play. A match consists of a sequence of sets, with each set consisting of a sequence of games. A game consists of a sequence of points played with the same player serving. The first player to win four points in a game wins that game.

Set

In tennis, a set is won when a player wins 6 games by a margin of 2 games, provided that the player wins at least 4 games. If the score reaches 6-5, a tiebreaker is played to determine the winner of the set. A set consists of at least 6 games.

Match

Match is a tennis scoring system used in both singles and doubles matches. The term “match” can also refer to the number of games played in a set, so you might hear someone say “he won the first set 6-4, but she won the match 12-10.”

Here’s how it works: each player starts with zero points and earns points based on their performance in each game. If a player wins a game, they receive one point. If they lose a game, they receive zero points. If the score of the game is tied at 40-40 (called “deuce”), then either player can win the next point to take the lead.

Players continue to play until one player has won enough games to take the lead, at which point that player is declared the winner of the match. In most matches, the winner must win by two games (known as a “two-game lead”). For example, if Player A has won six games and Player B has won five games, then Player A must win two more games to win the match. If Player B wins two more games instead, then the match is tied at 6-6 and either player can win the next game to take the lead.

The first player to reach seven wins is declared the winner, regardless of whether or not they have a two-game lead.