How To Understand Tennis Scores?

Everything you need to know about tennis scores, from the basics of counting points to the complicated system of games, sets, and matches.

The Basics

Love

In tennis, “love” means zero. It’s the lowest score you can have in a game.

Deuce

In tennis, “deuce” is the name given to the score when both players have scored three points each. In other words, deuce is 40-40. If one player scores a point while the other is on 40, this is known as “advantage”. The first player to score two points consecutively while the other player is on 40 (i.e. they win four points in total) wins the game.

Advantage

Advantage is when one player has the upper hand in a particular point. This can happen when the other player hits a weak shot, makes a mistake, or forces their opponent to hit a difficult shot. When one player has advantage, they have the opportunity to win the point. If the player with advantage fails to win the point, then their opponent will have the opportunity to take back control of the point.

The Games

There are four main types of games in tennis: Singles, Doubles, Mixed Doubles, and Singles. In each type of game, the aim is to win more points than your opponent. The player who wins the most points in a game is the winner of that game. Winning a tennis match requires winning a certain number of games. The number of games required to win a tennis match varies depending on the type of match being played.

First Game

The first game of a set is usually the most important game. The sets are usually played best of 3 or 5. The player who wins the first game usually goes on to win the set.

The first game is also important because it sets the tone for the rest of the set. If one player wins the first game easily, it can be hard for the other player to come back and win the set.

Second Game

When one player has won the first game, that player’s score is 15, and the other player’s score is 0. The score for the second game works in the same way as the score for the first game. The only difference is that, in tennis, the player who wins a game does not automatically serve for the next game. Instead, service alternates between the two players. So if Player A won the first game, Player B will serve first in the second game. If Player B wins that second game, then Player A will serve first in the third game.

Third Game

Now that you understand how to keep score in tennis, let’s take a look at what happens in each game. The third game is when one player scores four points and wins the game. The first player to win two games wins the set. If the score is tied at one set all, then a tiebreaker is played to determine the winner of the set.

The Sets

In tennis, the first thing you need to understand is the scoring system. Every tennis match is played in best of three or best of five sets. That means that the first player to win six games in a set wins that set. If the score gets to 6-6, then there is a tiebreaker. The first player to win seven points in the tiebreaker wins the set.

First Set

When playing tennis, the first set is always played to six games. At six games each, a player must win by two games. For example, if the score is 6-5, the player with six games wins the set. If the score is 6-6, a tiebreaker is played. The player who wins the tiebreaker wins the set. A tiebreaker is always played to seven points, with the winner being the first player to take a two-point lead.

Second Set

In tennis, the winner of a set is the player who wins more than half of the games. If each player wins six games, the set is a tie (called a “six-game set”). A set consists of at least six games and may continue until one player has won a two-game lead (e.g., 6–5 or 7–6). If necessary, extra games are played until one player has won a clear (two-game) advantage. In some tournaments, such as Wimbledon and the French Open, sets must be won by two clear games (e.g., 6–0 or 7–5).

A “second set” is required in best-of-three-set matches when each player has won one set. It is also used in best-of-five-set matches when one player has won two sets and the other has won one. In all other cases, no second set is played.

Third Set

When the score reaches 6 games all, a player must win by 2 clear games to win the set. If the score becomes 8-8, 10-10 etc, then a player must win two consecutive points from anywhere on the court to win the set. This is called a tie break and is played to 7 points, with the winner taking the set by at least 2 clear points.

The Match

A tennis match is usually played as the best of three or five sets. The players keep score by counting the number of games won in each set. If a player wins a set by a margin of two games or more, that player is said to have won ‘to love’, ‘with a bagel’, ‘a breadstick’ or ‘a donut’, depending on the set score. If the margin is only one game, the set is said to be ‘decided on a tie-break’. If a player loses a set, the score is said to be ‘love’.

First Match

When two players meet on the tennis court for the first time, the match is called a First Match. A First Match is played best of three sets. The player who wins two sets out of three wins the match. However, if the score becomes 6-6 in any set, a tiebreaker will be played to decide who wins that particular set. The player who wins the most tiebreakers out of three sets, wins the match.

A First Match is also called a Regular Match.

Second Match

1. If the score reaches four games all, this is called a ‘deuce’.
2. To win a point when the score is deuce, a player must score twice in succession. This is called a ‘advantage’.
3. If the player who has scored twice then loses the next point, the score returns to deuce.
4. The first player to win six games and be two clear of their opponent is the winner of a match, provided they have won by a margin of at least two games. If the score reaches six games all, a player must then win by a margin of at least two clear points.

Third Match

The third match is between the winners of the first and second match. The winner of this match will advance to the finals.