How to Keep Score in Tennis

If you’ve ever wanted to understand tennis scoring rules, this post explains it all: Game. Set. Match.

 

Watching a skilled tennis match is one of life’s great pleasures. Half of the fun is seeing the athleticism and intensity, observing the strategy, and appreciating great sportsmanship. The other half is understanding how the athletes accumulate points to win games, sets, and matches. While the tennis scoring system isn’t difficult to understand, it entails some specific and seemingly arcane rules to get from zero to win.

Scoring Games, Sets and Matches

Tennis consists of points, games, and sets. A player needs to win four points to win a game, six games to win a set, and two sets to win a match. In order to win a game, players must with four points. The name of these four points is love (zero), 15, 30, 40, and game. If the game is tied at 40-40 (also known as deuce), the game continues until one player wins by a two-point lead. There are six games in a set and two or three sets in a match. Players must win a set by two games and match by two sets.

What Is Love?

In tennis, "love" is a score of zero. You want to get as far away from love as possible. Love is the basis for many tennis jokes and puns, and tennis love is loss. On the tennis court, love is not the answer. Watch as #TeamWilson Player Venus Williams explains love in under thirty seconds:

About Those Two Points

Typically, if a player has "40" in the score (for example 40-15, 0-40, 40-30) and wins the next point, then they win the game. However, if the score is 40-all (also called deuce), a player must win two points in a row to win the game. If the player serving wins one point, it’s called “Advantage In,” or add-in for short. If the receiving player wins a point, it’s called “Advantage Out,” or add-out. If the score is Ad-In (so the server won the point at deuce) and the server wins the point, then the server wins the game. If the score is Ad-Out (so the returner won the point at deuce) and the server wins the point, then the score goes back to deuce. This cycle continues until one player wins two points in a row when the score is deuce. And yes, there have been times when the game lasts over 10 minutes because of the back and forth deuce points. 

blurb explaining the 11-hour Wimbledon tennis match in 2010.

Scoring Sets and Matches

If a set is tied at 6-6, a tiebreaker is played. When playing a tiebreaker, the first player will serve one point. After the first point, players will then serve two consecuttive points until one reaches seven points. Similar to deuce, players must win by a margin of two points to win the tiebreaker. Therefore, if the score is 6-6 in the tiebreaker, a player must win two more points to win the tiebreaker. Another thing to remember when playing tiebreakers is to switch sides after every six points. This is done so that one player is not disadvantaged with playing on a side that may be more difficult to play on (sunnier, against the wind, etc.).

The Advantage Set

In the past, the fifth set in Grand Slams (and only the fifth set) was considered an "advantage set," where a tiebreaker was not used to determine the winner of the match. When playing the advantage set, if the score is tied at 6-6, play continues until one player or team wins by two games. In theory, these sets could go on indefinitely, so in 2019, tennis governing bodies instated new rules to prevent that.

The Tiebreak Set

Tiebreak sets do not allow for this potentially exhaustive gameplay. If players engage in a tiebreak set and the score is tied at five games, the players must win the set by two games. If the score is tied at six games each, the players start a tiebreak game. These games are scored with consecutive numbers starting at zero, and the winner is the first player to reach seven points by a margin of two points. #TeamWilson Player Madison Keys explains all of this in 23 seconds:

overhead shot of Australian open at dusk.
Final Set Rules

As of 2022, each of the four Grand Slams has implemented a final 10 point tiebreaker in lieu of completing an advantage set. In the final set of the match, whether it be in the fifth set for men or the third set for women, at 6-6, players will play out a 10 point match tiebreaker to determine the winner. Similar to the 7 point tiebreakers, the first player to reach 10 points, winning by at least two points, comes away with the "W." So if the score is tied at 9-9, a player must win two more points to win the set.

This guide should help clarify what’s happening when tennis greats take to the courts and engage their opponents. We update our blog often, so come back and visit to enjoy information about all the sports that Wilson supports.

Updated January 18, 2024