A tennis score can sound more romantic than it is: “love” means a player has zero points in the current game. If the score is called “15-love,” one player has won one point and the other has none. The word has nothing to do with affection—and, unlike most sports, tennis keeps using it even when the match gets tense.
What “love” means on a tennis scoreboard
In tennis, the points within a standard game are counted as love, 15, 30 and 40. So a score of “love-30” means the first player has not won a point in that game, while the second has won two. The score is normally announced with the server’s points first.
For example, if Maya is serving and has won one point while her opponent has won none, the score is “15-love.” If the opponent wins the next point, it becomes “15-all.” “All” simply means both players have the same score.
Love applies only to the points in the current game. It does not mean a player has zero games or zero sets in the match. Someone can be ahead 5–2 in games in a set and still be at love in the game being played.
How love fits into tennis scoring
A regular game begins at “love-all,” or zero points each. The first point takes a player to 15, the second to 30, and the third to 40. A player usually needs to win four points and lead by at least two to take the game.
Here is a typical progression:
- Love-all: 0–0
- 15-love: 1–0
- 30-love: 2–0
- 40-love: 3–0
- Game: the player wins the next point, taking the game without the opponent scoring
If the player at 40-love loses the next point, the score becomes 40-15, not 40-love. If both players reach 40, the score is called “deuce.” From deuce, a player generally has to win two points in a row: first to gain “advantage,” then to win the game. Some formats use a deciding point at deuce instead, so the exact rule can depend on the competition.
Why the score sounds unusual
Newcomers often expect tennis points to be called 1, 2, 3 and 4. Instead, the traditional sequence is 15, 30, 40, then game. The numbers are part of tennis’s historic scoring system; love is simply the word used for zero within that system. It doesn’t change how many points are needed to win.
Common phrases that use love
You’ll hear love in several familiar calls, each describing a different kind of score:
- Love-all: Both players have zero points at the start of a game.
- 15-love: One player has one point; the other has zero.
- Game to love: A player wins a game without the opponent winning a point.
- Love game: The same idea—a game won while holding the opponent to zero points.
Imagine a player serving at 40-love. If the server wins the next rally, the server has won all four points and takes the game to love. That can feel especially convincing when the server has landed strong first serves and kept the returner from starting rallies comfortably.
A “game to love” is not the same as a set score of 6–0. A 6–0 set means the winner took six games and the loser took none. Tennis fans often call that a bagel. The loser may still have won plenty of points inside those games; the set score alone doesn’t tell you whether any games went to love.
Love in a tiebreak
Most tiebreaks use ordinary numbers rather than the love, 15, 30 and 40 sequence. A tiebreak might be called “4–0,” not “40-love.” Players usually need to reach a target score—often seven points—and lead by two, although match formats can vary.
So if you hear a chair umpire call “6–6,” that is a game score in the set, not a point score in a regular game. If the set goes to a tiebreak, the points in that tiebreak are counted numerically. Keeping the game score and point score separate makes the calls much easier to follow.
Where did the word come from?
The exact origin of tennis’s “love” is uncertain. A popular explanation links it to the French word l’œuf, meaning “the egg,” because an egg’s shape resembles a zero. That story is widely repeated, but it is not proven. Other explanations have also been suggested, and there is no settled account that can be treated as fact.
Whatever its history, the modern meaning is straightforward: when a player has love, that player has scored zero points in the game. The term remains part of tennis’s vocabulary, alongside calls such as deuce and advantage.
How to read love during a match
When you hear a score, first identify whether the umpire is calling points within a game or games within a set. In a regular game, love means zero. The server’s score is normally called first, so “love-15” means the server has zero and the receiver has one. If the call is “15-love,” the server has one point and the receiver has none.
Then watch how the score changes after each rally. If the player on love wins the next point, the score moves to 15 for that player. If the player loses it, the opponent’s total increases instead. This is useful whether you’re watching a match or keeping score yourself: say the server’s points first, use “all” when the scores match, and remember that love resets to zero at the start of every new game.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does love mean zero in tennis?
Yes. Love means a player has zero points in the current game. It does not mean zero games or sets in the match.
Why is zero called love?
The origin is uncertain. A common theory connects the word with the French l’œuf, or “egg,” but the explanation has not been firmly established.
What does “game to love” mean?
It means a player won the game while the opponent scored no points in it. It describes one game, not the score of the whole set.
Is “love” used in a tennis tiebreak?
Usually not. Tiebreak points are generally announced with ordinary numbers, such as 3–2, rather than love, 15, 30 and 40.
Final Thoughts
In tennis, love is simply the scorekeeper’s word for zero points in a game. Once you know that, calls such as 30-love and game to love are easy to decode. Just remember that the score resets for every game, the server’s points are usually called first, and a love game is different from a 6–0 set.
