Tennis Scoring: 15, 30, 40 and Deuce
Tennis is scored on four nested levels — points, games, sets, match — and each has its own rule for when it ends. That nesting is what makes the scoreboard look complicated.
Points within a game
| Points won | Called |
|---|---|
| 0 | Love |
| 1 | 15 |
| 2 | 30 |
| 3 | 40 |
| 4 | Game (if 2 clear) |
Deuce and advantage
At 40–40 the score is deuce, and a player must win two points in a row. Winning the first gives advantage; winning the next takes the game. Losing it returns the score to deuce, which is why a single game can last a dozen points.
Winning a set
- First to six games, with at least two games of margin.
- At 6–6 a tie-break is played, and the set finishes 7–6.
- A match is best of three sets, or best of five in men's Grand Slam play.
The tie-break
The tie-break counts in plain numbers: first to 7 points, two clear. Serve changes after the first point, then every two points. It is the one moment in tennis where the 15-30-40 vocabulary disappears entirely.
Frequently asked questions
The likeliest explanation is a medieval clock face marking quarters — 15, 30, 45 — with 45 shortened to 40 in speech so that advantage could be called at 50.
Winning a set 6–0 without conceding a single point — 24 points in a row. It has happened only a handful of times in professional history.