Scoring system

What does an egg, a clock and medieval France have in common?

Tennis’ scoring system has a unique history but also gives tennis its drama through the fine margins and swings of control – resulting in the close rivalries and captivating viewing that draws people into playing the game.

Tennis scoring is made up of points, games and sets.

Tennis has a unique scoring system where points don’t increase in a linear way. Instead, each rally determines how points are won:

• Love (0)
  The starting score.
  
  
• 15
  First point won.
  
  
• 30
  Second point won.
  
  
• 40
  Third point won.
  
  
• Game 
  Fourth point won (unless deuce is reached).

An individual’s score at the start of the game is referred to as love or love all if the scores are equal. The name is thought to have derived from the french for egg – l’oeuf.

The increments of 15 and 30 are thought to come from a clock face. With the score going up in quarters of an hour – 0 to 15 to 30 to 45 to 60.

If the players reach 40-40, it's called a deuce.

After deuce, the first player to win a point gains advantage. Winning the next point secures the game, otherwise, it returns to deuce.

The name is thought to derive from the French phrase à deux, which means involving two, and is likely to be a reference to the medieval game of jousting.

A player must win six games with at least a two-game lead to take the set.

Tiebreaks help determine the winner of a set when both players reach six games each. Standard tiebreak rules include:

• First to seven points, must win by two points.
• Some competitions use short sets, where the first player to win four games takes the set.

All Grand Slam events use 10-point deciding tiebreaks in the final set instead of the standard seven-point format.

Tennis matches are played in two main formats. Shorter set formats require aggressive play from the start, as there’s less time to recover. Traditional best-of-five set matches demand endurance, often favouring experienced players with strong stamina.

A player must win two sets to win the match. This is standard in most professional and amateur competitions.

Used in Grand Slam tournaments for men’s events, requiring a player to win three sets.

At deuce, the next point decides the game (no advantage play). This faster format is often used in FAST4 Tennis and select ATP and WTA events to keep matches short and exciting.

• FAST4Tennis
  Sets played to four games, with a tiebreak at 3-3 and no-advantage scoring for faster gameplay.
  
  
• Match tiebreak format
  Instead of a final set, a 10-point tiebreak decides the match, common in doubles events.

• The first player to win four games takes the set, with a tiebreak at 4-4.
• Popular in junior tournaments and team events to minimise fatigue.

• Some competitions introduce sudden-death points at deuce, meaning a single decisive point determines the game.
• Certain exhibition matches trial first-to-eight game sets or modified tiebreak formats to create faster, more intense matches.