What Happens at
Deuce
in Tennis?
Deuce and advantage explained - what it means, how it works, and how long it can actually go on for.
The short answer
At 40-40 in tennis, the score is called deuce. A player must win two points in a row to win the game - the first point earns advantage, the second wins the game.
If the player with advantage loses the next point, the score returns to deuce and the process starts again.
Ad-in vs ad-out
When the server wins the point after deuce, it is called "ad-in" (advantage in). When the receiver wins it, it is called "ad-out" (advantage out). Umpires and players call the score this way so everyone knows who needs the next point to win, and who needs it to force deuce again.
Win the next point while holding advantage, and the game is over. Lose it, and it is deuce again.
How it works step by step
No-ad scoring - the alternative
ATP and WTA doubles have used no-ad scoring since the mid-2000s to keep matches shorter. Instead of deuce and advantage, a single sudden-death point at 40-40 decides the game. The receiving side chooses which court to receive from, and whoever wins that point wins the game.
This is the same idea as padel's golden point (star point) rule - one deciding point instead of an open-ended deuce battle. Singles tennis at every level still uses full advantage scoring.
Does Scorepion support it?
Yes. Scorepion shows deuce and advantage clearly on the scoring screen, so there is never any confusion about whose advantage it is or how many points a game has run to.
