How to Score Points in Tennis: Rules & Scoring System Explained
Tennis is one of the most popular individual sports in India, with stars like Sania Mirza, Leander Paes, and Rohan Bopanna making the nation proud. However, for a beginner, tennis scores can be a bit confusing. Why do they count “15, 30, 40” instead of “1, 2, 3”? And what on earth does “Love” mean?
In this guide, we break down the complex tennis scoring system into simple steps so you can follow the next Grand Slam or local tournament with ease.
The Three Tiers of Tennis Scoring
To understand a tennis match, you need to look at it in three stages: Points make up Games, Games make up Sets, and Sets make up the Match.
1. Scoring a Game: 15, 30, 40, and Deuce
In tennis, the points climb in a unique sequence. Both players start at zero, referred to as “Love.” From there, the progression is as follows:
- No points: Love
- 1st point: 15
- 2nd point: 30
- 3rd point: 40
- 4th point: Game (the player wins the game)
What is Deuce? If both players reach 40-40, it is called a “Deuce.” To win the game from Deuce, a player must win two consecutive points. The first point won is called Advantage. If that player wins the next point, they win the game. If they lose it, the score goes back to Deuce.
2. Winning a Set
To win a set, a player must be the first to win 6 games. However, there is a catch: you must win by a margin of at least two games (e.g., 6-4). If the score reaches 5-5, players continue until 7-5. If the score reaches 6-6, a Tie-break is played to determine the winner of the set (usually the first to reach 7 points wins the tie-break).
3. Winning the Match
In most professional tournaments (ATP/WTA), matches are “Best of Three.” This means the first person to win 2 sets wins the match. In Men’s Grand Slams (like Wimbledon or the Australian Open), matches are “Best of Five,” requiring a player to win 3 sets.
Common Tennis Scoring Terms
- Love: Derived from the French word “l’oeuf” (meaning egg, which looks like a zero).
- All: Used when the score is tied (e.g., 15-all or 30-all).
- Break Point: When the player who is not serving is one point away from winning the game.
- Double Fault: When the server fails both serve attempts, giving a point to the opponent.
Conclusion
While the tennis scoring system may seem intimidating at first, it becomes second nature once you start playing or watching. Whether you are hitting the courts at your local club in Mumbai or Delhi, or cheering for India’s doubles teams, knowing how tennis scores work enhances the excitement of the game. Now that you know the rules, grab a racket and start your journey towards your first “Game, Set, Match!”
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Why is zero called “Love” in tennis?
The most widely accepted theory is that it comes from the French word for egg, “l’oeuf,” because an egg resembles the number zero. Another theory is that it represents “playing for the love of the game,” even when scoring nothing.
2. How long does a typical tennis match last?
A best-of-three set match usually lasts between 90 minutes to 2 hours. However, matches can vary greatly; some finish in under an hour, while marathon matches can go over 4 hours.
3. What happens if the score reaches 40-40?
This is called a “Deuce.” A player must then win two points in a row to win the game: the “Advantage” point followed by the winning point.
4. Is the scoring the same for doubles and singles?
Yes, the 15, 30, 40 system remains the same. However, in some professional doubles tournaments, a “Deciding Point” (No-Ad scoring) is used at Deuce to speed up the game.
5. What is a “Golden Set” in tennis?
A Golden Set occurs when a player wins every single point in a set (24 points to 0), without losing a single point to their opponent. This is extremely rare in professional tennis.
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How to Score Points in Tennis Games | Tennis
Taking up tennis? Learn how to score points in tennis games with this online tennis lesson.
Hi, my name is Angelina Zdorovytska. Right now we’re in the beautiful city of Los Angeles in Beverly Hills. I started playing tennis when I was 7 years old. I was ranked number 1 tennis player in the Ukraine. 350 in the world ranking. I run my own business; it’s besttennisever.com. I train very good players. Also, I train beginners, intermediate players. Tennis is my life and my passion. I live for it and now I would like to talk to you about tennis.
I’d like to talk to you about how to score and how to count in tennis when you’re playing a match. For example, when you’re serving, you’re starting the point and if you win the point, you get 15 points. So, you serve, you win the point, it’s 15-love. Next thing, for example, if again you’re serving and you lose the next point, so, you’re losing 15 points and we go to 15-all.
So the points go from the beginning, we have 15-love, 30-love, after 30 we don’t have the 45, we go to 40. So 15-love, 30-love, 40-love. If you’re losing the point, then your opponent, someone you’re playing against, is going to have the 15 points. So for example, you’re serving, you win the point, you’re going to have 15-love. Next one you lose, it’s going to be 15-all. If you win the next one, it’s 30-15.
We have the situation when we get to 40-all, we don’t have the 40-all. We’re using the terminology, we say deuce. Deuce is if I have 40, your opponent is having 40 as well. So you’re going to ask a question, what are you going to do next? We’re using the terminology where we say add in or add out. For example, if I’m serving, and we’re at deuce, if I win the point, it’s going to be add in. If I lose the point, it’s going to be add out. Having the add in for me to win the next point, I’m winning the game, one game. If I’m losing the point, we’re going back to deuce
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