In tennis, love means zero. When a player has not yet won a point in a game, the umpire announces their score as “love” rather than “zero” or “nil.” So a score of 30-love means the server has won two points and the opponent none. It is one of the sport’s most charming quirks and one of the first things new fans ask about.
How does love fit into tennis scoring?
A tennis game is not counted 1, 2, 3, 4. Instead it climbs through a set sequence of terms. The points within a game are scored love (0), 15, 30, 40, and then game. Winning four points is usually enough to win the game, provided you are ahead by at least two points.
The server’s score is always called first. If the server has won one point and the receiver none, the umpire says “15-love.” If the receiver then wins a point, it becomes “15-all.” Love shows up at the start of every game, when the score is “love-all,” and any time a player is still stuck on zero.
| Points won | Called |
|---|---|
| 0 | Love |
| 1 | 15 |
| 2 | 30 |
| 3 | 40 |
| 4 (leading by 2) | Game |
Why is zero called love in tennis?
The most popular explanation traces love to the French word l’oeuf, meaning “egg,” because an egg looks like the number zero. English speakers are said to have adapted l’oeuf into “love” over time. It is a delightful story and easy to remember, but it is not officially confirmed by the sport’s authorities, so it is best treated as a likely origin rather than settled fact.
A second theory suggests the term comes from the idea of playing “for love” of the game, meaning for nothing, the way we say someone did something for love rather than money. Either way, the word has been part of tennis for well over a century and is now standard around the world.
What does 40-love mean?
A score of 40-love means the serving player leads three points to none and needs just one more point to win the game. Because the server’s tally is spoken first, the 40 belongs to the server and the love to the receiver. This is one of the strongest positions in a game and is sometimes called holding “triple game point,” since the server has three chances to close it out. Even so, the game is not over, and a determined opponent can claw back point by point until the score reaches deuce.
The reverse, love-40, means the server has lost the first three points and faces three break points. In that spot the receiver is one point from winning the game against serve, a big momentum swing in a match.
Is love used only for points?
No. Love simply means zero anywhere it appears. It is used for games within a set as well as points. A set won without dropping a single game is 6-0, spoken as “six-love,” a dominant result. At the very start of a game, before either player has scored, the umpire calls “love-all.” Wherever a zero belongs, tennis says love.
How do you go from love to winning a game?
Every game begins at love-all and moves point by point. Winning the first point takes you to 15, the second to 30, and the third to 40. From 40, one more point wins the game, as long as you lead by at least two points. If both players climb to 40, the score is deuce, and a player then has to win two points in a row to close things out.
Love, then, is simply the starting line and the mark of a player yet to score. A comeback from love-30 or love-40 is one of the small dramas of a match, as the trailing player tries to erase a deficit one point at a time. Winning a game to love, with the opponent stuck on zero throughout, is a clean and confidence-building hold that commentators often point out. Understanding love makes the rest of the ladder, 15, 30, 40 and beyond, click into place.
Is the term the same everywhere?
Yes. The scoring vocabulary, including love, is standardized across the professional and amateur game. The International Tennis Federation maintains the official rules, and the ATP and WTA tours use the same terms, so “love” means zero whether you are watching a local club match or a Grand Slam final. Umpires around the world announce it the same way, and broadcasters use it without translation. This consistency is part of why the sport’s traditions have survived so long and travel so easily across borders.
Bottom line
Love is tennis-speak for zero, woven into the game’s distinctive love-15-30-40 scoring. Whether it describes a player yet to win a point or an entire set lost without a game, the meaning never changes. The likely link to the French l’oeuf gives the word its history, but on court the message is simple: love on the scoreboard means nothing scored, at least not yet.
Frequently asked questions
What does love mean in tennis?
Love means zero. When a player has not won any points in a game, their score is called love rather than nil or zero. For example, 30-love means the server has two points and the opponent has none.
Why is zero called love in tennis?
The most widely repeated explanation is that love comes from the French word l’oeuf, meaning egg, because an egg resembles the shape of a zero. The theory is popular but not confirmed by the sport’s governing bodies, so it remains a likely origin rather than a proven fact.
What is the order of tennis scores?
Within a game the scores are love (0), 15, 30, 40, and then game. If both players reach 40, the score is deuce, and a player must then win two points in a row to close out the game.
What does 40-love mean?
40-love means the serving player leads three points to none and is one point from winning the game. Because the server’s score is always announced first, the 40 belongs to the server and the love to the receiver.
Can love be used for sets, not just points?
Yes. Love describes any score of zero. A set won without dropping a game is 6-0, spoken as six-love, and a game score can be love-all when neither player has scored yet.
