Tennis Scoring Made Easy

Tennis scoring doesn’t make sense to most people.  It doesn’t even make sense to most tennis players!  Why is tennis scoring so complicated?

As I am writing this…I can’t help but wonder why it is the way it is.

Does the thought of keeping track of tennis scores make your head spin?  Does it cause anxiety?  Does it make your hands so sweaty that you drop your racket before your first serve is hit?

I sure hope not!  If it does…no worries…Tennis mom has got you covered.

I will walk you through…step by step…the painful process of learning how to score a tennis game. 

Ok…it won’t be painful…it will be lots of fun!  Let’s get started!

But first…How did tennis scoring come about?  Where did tennis scoring come from?  Why is tennis scoring so weird?

The answer is simple.  Two people were playing a game..hitting a ball back and forth…became intoxicated and started yelling out random numbers. 

No actually that isn’t what happened. Well….I suppose it could have as sadly no one REALLY knows for sure about how tennis scoring came about or why it is the way it is.

You can read more about the history of tennis and our best guess at why tennis scoring makes no sense HERE.

Tennis Scoring for Beginners:  Let’s start a match!

To start a match you have a big decision to make.

Who will serve first and which side will each person start on. 

You could settle this by a coin toss.  Most tennis players do this by a spin-off!

Now grab your tennis racket and put your head on the handle and spin as fast as you can!  Whoever remains standing the longest…wins the spin-off!  

I’m just kidding…that is not how it works…although it does sound pretty entertaining!

The first step in the spin-off is deciding who will do the racket spin and who will call it.  It really doesn’t matter who does what.  So someone volunteer!

Now, look at the end of your racket.  Depending on what racket brand you have, you will have some sort of letter or picture at the end of the handle.

If you have a Wilson racket, your opponent will call out either “M” or “W”.  If you have a Prince racket it will be either “P” or “D.”  

You get the idea.

Then you take your tennis racket in your hand and spin it until your opponent says “stop.”

You then look at what letter or shape happens to be at the bottom.  If your opponent called it correctly then they get to choose if they would like to serve first or pick which side they would like to start on.

If they choose to serve, then you get to pick the side.  If they pick their side…then you get the first serve of the game!

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Should you pick serve or side?

Generally speaking…I ALWAYS pick the serve first.  

Why?  That way YOU get to set the tone of the WHOLE match.  Your serve will come to be one of the most powerful hits you have in the game of tennis.

When wouldn’t I choose to serve?  Maybe if I left my sunglasses at home and wanted to pick the side…seriously…that would be about the only time.

If you aren’t confident with your serve but you are crazy excited about your super powerful and accurate forehand…then choose side.

It all depends on where your power lies and what feels right for that person.  Think about your tennis strategy and go with what makes sense!

Tennis Scoring Language

Game…Set…Point…Match.

Do these 4 words confuse you?  

This is the easiest way for me to help you understand how these 4 words work in the game of tennis.

You play a point.  When you get enough points you win a game.  When you win enough games you win the set.  When you win enough sets then you claim the match.

Tennis Scoring Points System:  How to Understand Tennis Scores

Scoring points is how you win a game.  These are the numbers that you hear the server calling out before each serve.

Points go like this:  

Zero:  Love

First point won: 15

Second point won: 30

Third Point won: 40

Fourth Point:  Game

All: This means you have a tied score.  Expect when you have a deuce. Example:  30 All

Deuce: When the score is 40-40

Ad in:  Server needs one more point to win.

Ad out:  Receiver needs one more point to win.

In order to win a game you have to be 2 points up. 

How Many Games in a Set of Tennis?

You must win at least 6 games and be ahead by 2 in order to claim a set. 

Once you have won 2 sets…then you have won the match.

Switching Sides

You remember how one of you picked the sides you start on for your tennis match?

Don’t worry…you won’t stay on that side forever.  After every odd game you switch sides with your opponent.

As you switch sides it is the perfect time to stop and take a drink of water to stay hydrated or check your cell phone (just kidding…please don’t do that…I’m quitting if you check your cell phone during our tennis match!)

Tennis Scoring Etiquette

Both players should be keeping track of the score in their head during the match.

You really wouldn’t use any type of tennis scoring book during a match so this is very important.

The server should be calling out the score before each point. 

How Tennis Scoring Works…When You Forgot the Score!

Even if you are calling out the score before each point it can still happen where the score is just forgotten.

If you are serving and have forgotten what the score is, ask your opponent.

If they don’t know what it is either then go back to the score that you both remember last and play from there.

Tennis Tiebreaker

Remember when I told you that you have to win by 2 games to claim a set?

I lied…There is one circumstance when you don’t have to win by 2 games.

When your games add up to a score of 6-6…it is time to play a tie-breaker.  That is why you have seen tennis scores come out to 7-6.

Learning to play a tiebreaker is a little tricky.  I actually remember practicing these in high school for the rare times that they happened.

This is oftentimes called a “7 point tiebreaker.”  The player wins when they get to 7 points with a two-point lead.  

If they win the tiebreaker they win the set!

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How to Start a Tiebreaker

You start by having the person serve that is next in rotation.  They serve for just one point.

It is served from the right side of the court.

Then the other play gets to serve the 2nd and 3rd points.  The serve goes back to the initial server for points 4 and 5.

You continue to rotate servers every 2 points until the end of the tiebreaker.

When 6 points have been played total you switch ends of the court. Have to keep it fair right?

Every 6 points you switch ends of the court.

Are doubles and Singles scored the same way?

When it comes to scoring double and singles are scored the game way!

There are a lot of things differently when you compare doubles and singles when it comes to court lines and even strategy but luckily scoring is the same.

You can learn more about doubles tennis strategy here.

Basic Tennis Terms You Need to Know

In order to understand tennis scoring, there are certain words you will want to know when you play a match. 

If you are a beginner make sure to check out our complete guide on how to play tennis.

Let

A “let” is when you redo a point. For example, you may call a “let” when you serve the ball and it just grazes the net but lands in the correct box.  

You can also call a let if monkey runs onto the court and steals your tennis ball.  

Basically, if anything random happens out of the player’s control that interferes with tennis play, you can stop the point and redo it.

Match Point

This is when you are one point away from winning the match.  A very exciting time!

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Fault and Double Fault

A fault is when the serve lands outside of the tennis box.  A Double fault is when this happens on the second serve as well.

The point goes to the receiver when there is a double fault.

Ace

This is when a serve lands in the service box and the opponent does not get to it.  The server wins this point!

Time to Go Play!

I hope you have found this guide on tennis scoring to be helpful. 

Check out these powerful tennis tips to strengthen your game.

It may take a few games to feel completely confident with your tennis scoring skills…but practice makes perfect!