Blog/Tennis Rules

TENNIS RULES - SCORING TERMS

Why Is Zero Called
"Love" in Tennis?

Q: Why is zero called 'love' in tennis?

The most widely accepted theory is that 'love' comes from the French word 'l'oeuf', meaning 'the egg', because a zero on a scoreboard looks like an egg shape. A second theory suggests it comes from the English phrase 'to play for love', meaning to play for nothing, with no score.

Q: What is a let in tennis?

A let is a point that is replayed without penalty, most commonly when a serve clips the net but still lands in the correct service box.

The story behind tennis's strangest scoring word, plus a full glossary of the terms you will hear on court.

The short answer

The most widely accepted theory is that "love" comes from the French word "l'oeuf", meaning "the egg", because a zero on a scoreboard looks like an egg shape. English speakers likely absorbed and anglicised the sound into "love".

Nobody can say with total certainty which theory is correct - tennis scoring language predates reliable written records of the sport by centuries - but the egg theory is the one most tennis historians point to first.

The other theory: playing for nothing

A second, less favoured theory ties "love" to the English idiom "to play for love", meaning to play for nothing - no stakes, no score. Under this theory, a player with zero points is quite literally playing "for love" rather than for anything tangible.

Both explanations point to the same underlying idea: love means nothing, in the sense of a null score, not an emotion.

Full glossary of tennis scoring terms

Love

Zero points. Most likely from the French "l'oeuf" (the egg), since a zero looks like an egg on a scoreboard.

Deuce

The score when both players have 40 points in a game. From the French "à deux le jeu" - the game to both.

Advantage

The point scored immediately after deuce. Win the next point too and you win the game; lose it and the score returns to deuce.

Ace

A serve that the receiver fails to touch with their racket, winning the point outright.

Fault

A serve that lands outside the correct service box, or otherwise breaks the serving rules. Two faults in a row is a double fault, which loses the point.

Let

A point replayed without penalty, most commonly a serve that clips the net cord but still lands in the correct box.

Break point

A point that, if won by the receiver, wins them the game - breaking the opponent's serve.

Break of serve

Winning a game as the receiver rather than the server. Considered more valuable than winning your own service game.

Tie-break

A separate scoring format (usually first to 7, win by 2) played instead of a regular game when a set reaches 6-6.

Rally

A sequence of shots exchanged between players before the point ends.

Unforced error

A mistake made without pressure from the opponent's shot - the player simply missed.

Winner

A shot that lands in and is not touched by the opponent, ending the point immediately.

Why tennis scoring language stuck around

Most sports simplified their scoring language over time. Tennis kept its French-rooted, non-linear system (love, 15, 30, 40, game) largely intact for centuries - part tradition, part the fact that it works well for calling scores out loud on court. Understanding the vocabulary is really the last barrier to following a match confidently, and once it clicks, it never becomes confusing again.

If you would rather not think about the terminology at all mid-match, Scorepion tracks every point, game and set automatically from your Apple Watch or Wear OS watch - you just tap who won the point.

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