Tennis › Rules and scoring
Tennis rules and scoring explained: games, sets and the tiebreak
In short
Tennis counts points via love, 15, 30, 40, with deuce and advantage at 40-40. A set goes to whoever reaches 6 games first with a 2-game margin; at 6-6, a tiebreak follows. Since March 2022, all four Grand Slams use the same deciding-set tiebreak to 10 points.
Scoring within a game: love, 15, 30, 40
Tennis counts points within a game in its own historical way. Whoever wins 4 points first, with a margin of at least 2 points over their opponent, wins the game. At a score of 40-15, the game isn't decided yet if the leading player loses the next point: only a margin of at least 2 points settles the game.
| Points won in the game | Score call |
|---|---|
| 0 | Love |
| 1 | 15 |
| 2 | 30 |
| 3 | 40 |
| 4 (with at least a 2-point margin) | Game |
Deuce and advantage
Deuce
When both players are at 40 points, that score is called deuce. From that point on, a player has to win 2 points in a row to take the game.
Advantage
Win the first point after deuce and you get advantage. Win the next point too, and the game is yours. Lose the point after advantage, and the score returns to deuce, restarting that phase. In theory, that means a game can run on for a while if both players keep trading points and advantages.
"No-ad" system
Some tournaments and levels, often in doubles or at certain lower levels, use a "no-ad" system instead: at 40-40, a single deciding point is played rather than the classic deuce/advantage phase. In singles at the Grand Slams, the classic deuce/advantage rule applies.
Games and sets: how you win a set
A set is won by the first player to reach at least 6 games, with a margin of at least 2 games over their opponent (for example 6-4 or 6-2). If the score reaches 6-6 after 6 games, a tiebreak is normally needed to decide the set, except in the final (deciding) set at some tournaments, where different rules sometimes applied before the 2022 reform (see below).
The regular tiebreak
A regular tiebreak, played at 6-6 in a set that isn't the deciding set, is played to 7 points, with a margin of at least 2 points. If the tiebreak gets stuck at 6-6, play continues until one of the two players secures that 2-point margin.
Whoever reaches 7 points first with a 2-point lead wins the tiebreak, and with it the set, 7-6.
The deciding-set tiebreak at the Grand Slams
For the deciding set, meaning the third set in a best-of-3 match and the fifth set in a best-of-5 match, all four Grand Slams have used an identical system since the joint reform of March 2022: at 6-6 in the deciding set, a tiebreak to 10 points is played, with a margin of at least 2 points. That now applies at the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open.
Before that reform, each Grand Slam had its own rule: Roland Garros and the US Open each previously had their own variant. Since then, the system has been the same across all four Grand Slams, which makes comparisons between tournaments and players simpler.
Best-of-3 versus best-of-5
At the Grand Slams, the men play best-of-5 sets: first to win 3 sets wins the match. The women play best-of-3: first to win 2 sets wins the match. That difference in format explains why men's matches at the Grand Slams generally run longer than women's matches, sometimes by an hour or more.
| Tournament level | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Slam | Best-of-5 | Best-of-3 |
| Masters 1000 / WTA 1000 and other tournaments | Best-of-3 | Best-of-3 |
Outside the Grand Slams, for example at a Masters 1000 event like Cincinnati or a WTA 1000 tournament, both men and women play best-of-3 sets. The longer best-of-5 format for men only applies at the four Grand Slams.
Serving rules: fault, double fault, foot fault and let
Each player gets, per point, two consecutive attempts to land their serve inside the opponent's diagonal service box.
Fault
If the ball lands outside that box or hits the net, that's a fault, and the player gets to try their second serve.
Double fault
If that second attempt also fails, it's a double fault, and the point automatically goes to the opponent.
Foot fault
The server's feet must stay behind the baseline before and during the serving motion, and may not touch that line before the serve is completed. A foot fault counts as a regular fault, so on the second serve it immediately results in a double fault.
Let
If the serve clips the net but still lands validly inside the service box, that's called a let. That is not a fault: the player simply gets to replay that serve, without losing their first or second attempt.
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Frequently asked questions
Why is 0 points called "love" in tennis?
The exact origin of the term isn't established with certainty, but a common explanation is that it comes from the French word "l'œuf" (the egg), whose shape resembles a zero. For the scoring itself, the origin makes no difference: 0 points is simply called "love".
What happens at 40-40?
That score is called deuce. From that point, a player has to win 2 points in a row to take the game: the first point gives advantage, the second decides the game.
How does the deciding-set tiebreak work at the Grand Slams?
Since 2022 it has been identical across all four Grand Slams: at 6-6 in the deciding set, a tiebreak to 10 points is played, with a margin of at least 2 points.
Do women also play best-of-5 at the Grand Slams?
No, women play best-of-3 sets at every tournament, including the Grand Slams. Only the men play best-of-5 at the four Grand Slams.
What's the difference between a fault and a let on serve?
A fault means the serve is invalid, for example because the ball lands outside the service box. A let means the serve clipped the net but still landed validly: that serve simply gets replayed, without losing the first or second attempt.
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