Tennis scoring can baffle newcomers — "love," "deuce" and 15-30-40 aren’t exactly intuitive. Here’s the system broken down.
Points Within a Game
Points run 0 (love) → 15 → 30 → 40. Win a point at 40 and you take the game — unless it’s 40-40, called deuce. From deuce a player must win two points in a row: the first is advantage, the second wins the game.
Games and Sets
Win six games (by at least two) to take a set. Matches are best-of-three or best-of-five sets. If a set reaches 6-6, it’s usually settled by a tie-break, first to seven points (by two).
Why "Love"?
The origin of "love" for zero is debated — often linked to the French l’œuf ("the egg," for the shape of a zero). Whatever its roots, it’s now part of tennis’s charm.
