Tennis scoring builds in four levels: points make games, games make sets, and sets decide the match. In a standard game, points are called love, 15, 30, and 40; a set usually requires six games and a two-game lead; and a match may be best-of-three or best-of-five sets. A tiebreak can settle a set at 6–6, while some event formats use a match tiebreak instead of a deciding set.
How tennis scoring is structured
The sequence is points → games → sets → match. A point contributes to the current game; games contribute to the current set; and the player or pair that wins the required number of sets wins the match. World Tennis (formerly the ITF) describes the structure in its tennis glossary.
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When a game score is announced, the server’s score is called first. That convention applies to the point score within a game, not to the order in which the players’ names appear on a scoreboard.
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Love, 15, 30, and 40
Love means zero. The standard point calls progress from love to 15, then 30, then 40. The numbers are names for scoring stages, not a count of points won. For example, a score of 30–15 means the server has won two points and the receiver one.
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A player or pair normally needs at least four points and a lead of two to win a game. If the score is 40–30, winning the next point ends the game; if the receiver wins it, the score becomes 40–40.
Deuce and advantage
At 40–40, the score is called deuce. From deuce, one side must win two consecutive points to take the game:
- Win the first point after deuce to earn advantage.
- Win the next point to win the game.
If the player without advantage wins the point, the score returns to deuce. The cycle can repeat until one side wins both consecutive points.
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Under the standard set format described in the World Tennis glossary, the first player or pair to win six games with a lead of at least two wins the set. At 5–5, a player can take the set 7–5 by winning the next two games. If the score reaches 6–6, the described format uses a set tiebreak.
What happens at 6–6?
The glossary’s standard tiebreak is won by the first player or pair to reach seven points with a margin of at least two. So it does not necessarily end at seven: scores such as 8–6, 9–7, or 10–8 can decide it. The tiebreak winner takes the set, which is recorded as 7–6.
This is a set tiebreak: it resolves a set that has reached 6–6. The exact set rules can depend on the competition, so the glossary’s description should not be taken to mean every event uses an identical procedure.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How many sets win a match?
In a best-of-three match, the first player or pair to win two sets takes the match. In a best-of-five match, the first to win three sets takes it. World Tennis says most standard matches are best-of-three and some men’s matches are best-of-five; the event’s regulations determine the format for a particular match.
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The terms refer to different situations. A set tiebreak decides a set at 6–6. A match tiebreak is used in some event formats in place of the deciding final set, often when the match is one set all. Do not assume that a match tiebreak is part of every competition or that it replaces the final set everywhere.
World Tennis Tour rules illustrate how formats can vary within one tour. Its FAQ says singles main-draw matches are best-of-three tiebreak sets with advantage scoring. Singles qualifying and doubles can use a ten-point match tiebreak if the score reaches one set all; doubles use no-ad scoring. These details describe the World Tennis Tour formats in that FAQ, not a universal rule for tennis tournaments.
How to interpret a live tennis score
- Point score inside a game: calls such as 15–30, 40–40, or advantage indicate the current game.
- Game score inside a set: a display such as 4–3 usually shows games won in the current set.
- Set score in the match: a display such as 1–0 in sets means one side has won one set and the other has won none.
- Tiebreak score: at 6–6 in a set, point totals may appear instead of the usual love/15/30/40 calls because the set tiebreak is being played.
Scoreboard layouts vary, so check the labels or columns if it is unclear whether a number refers to points, games, or sets. For the applicable set length, deciding-set procedure, and ad or no-ad scoring, consult the tournament’s rules. World Tennis publishes its rules and regulations here.
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