What are the Rules for Scoring in Lawn Tennis?

Lawn tennis, often simply called tennis, is a popular sport where two players hit a ball across a net using rackets. Historically tennis was played on grass, but modern tennis is played on a variety of surfaces including grass, clay and hard man-made surfaces. The scoring system in tennis is often a source of confusion for those who do not know the game.

  1. Scoring a Game

    • A tennis match consists of three basic scoring units: points, games, and sets. Games are won by winning points and sets are won by winning games. Tennis games are won when one player wins four points, but the score counting system does not simply count up numerically. When a player has zero points they are said to be at "love." When a player scores the first point the score is tallied as 15, two points is 30, three points is 40, and the fourth point wins the game if it gives a two-point difference. If both players achieve a score of 40, the score is called "deuce." When a deuce occurs, either player must win two consecutive points to win the game. When a player wins a point on a deuce, they are said to have the advantage. If the player with advantage wins the next point, he wins the game, but if he loses the next point, the score goes back to deuce.

    Scoring a Set

    • The first player to win 6 games in a set wins the set. Similar to the scoring in each game, players must win sets by two games difference. This means that a player can win a set 6 games to 4, or 6 games to 1, but not 6 games to 5. At a score of 6 games to five, if the player with 6 games wins the next game, he wins the set 7 games to 5. If the game score becomes tied at 6 games apiece, the players play a tiebreak to decide the set. In a tiebreak, the first player to 7 points wins, but the player must win the tiebreak by two points. When a tiebreak is finished the set score is written 7 games to 6 in favor of the tiebreak winner and the tiebreak score is often written after the set score in the format: (7-3).

    Scoring a Match

    • A typical tennis match is a best of three set match. This means the first player to win two sets wins the match. If one player wins the first two sets, the match ends with only two sets played. For example, say Bill and Tom played a tennis match and Bill won the first set, lost the second set and won the final set in a tiebreak. The final score might be recorded as: 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5). The winner's game totals are typically listed first for each set in score results. In professional tennis, certain events, including all four major tournaments, are played as best of five set matches.