What Is a Game in Tennis? Scoring and Rules

A game in tennis is a scoring unit made up of individual points. Players usually need to win at least four points and lead by two to win a game. Games combine to form a set, and sets determine the winner of a match.

How tennis game scoring works

Each game begins at love-love, which means neither player has scored. The server’s score is announced first. The traditional sequence is:

Love: zero points
15: one point
30: two points
40: three points
Game: the player has won the game

For example, a score of 30–15 means the server has won two points and the opponent has won one. A player wins the game by reaching at least four points with a two-point lead. The first player to win four points therefore takes the game if the score never becomes tied at 40–40.

What are deuce and advantage?

If both players reach three points, the score is called deuce, shown as 40–40. From deuce, a player must win two consecutive points to take the game.

The point after deuce gives the winner advantage. If the server wins it, the score is called advantage in; if the receiver wins it, the score is advantage out. Winning the next point after gaining advantage wins the game. Losing that point returns the score to deuce.

This can continue for several cycles. A game does not end after one point at deuce because the winner must still create a two-point margin.

How games fit into a tennis set

A set is made up of games. In a standard set, the first player to win six games with a lead of at least two games wins the set. A common winning score is 6–3 or 6–4. If the score reaches 5–5, a player normally needs to win the next two games for a 7–5 set.

If the set reaches 6–6, tournament rules may require a tiebreak. A tiebreak uses numerical point scoring rather than the usual love, 15, 30 and 40 system. The exact tiebreak format can vary by competition, match type and the final set rules.

Who serves during a game?

One player serves all points in a game, alternating between the deuce court and ad court after each point. The server changes at the end of every game. Players also change ends of the court at specified intervals, usually after an odd number of games in a set.

The server has two attempts to begin each point with a legal serve. A missed first serve is a fault, while two consecutive faults result in a double fault and the receiver wins the point. Once the serve is in play, the point continues until one player wins it.

Game, set and match: the difference

The terms describe different levels of tennis scoring:

A point is the smallest scoring unit.
A game is won by taking enough points with the required margin.
A set is won by taking enough games, usually six with a two-game advantage or through a qualifying tiebreak.
A match is won by taking the required number of sets.

For instance, a score of 6–4, 3–6, 6–2 describes a three-set match. The first set contained ten games, the second contained nine, and the third contained eight.

Common variations in tennis scoring

Some recreational formats use no-ad scoring. At deuce, the next point decides the game, so there is no advantage sequence. Other formats use short sets, match tiebreaks or different final-set procedures. Professional tournaments publish their own regulations, so the scoring format should be checked before a match.

The basic meaning remains the same: a tennis game is a group of points, and several games make up a set. Understanding that structure makes a tennis scoreboard much easier to follow.