What does 30–40 mean in tennis?
At 30–40, the server has won two points and the receiver three. When calling the score, say the server’s number first. Tennis uses special names for the first points:
- Love: no points yet.
- 15: one point won.
- 30: two points won.
- 40: three points won.
So 40 does not mean someone has won forty points.
If the receiver wins the next rally, they win the game. If the server wins, it becomes 40–40: deuce. The LTA’s scoring guide sets out this progression.
What does deuce mean in tennis?
Deuce means the players are tied at 40–40. Under advantage scoring, you need two points in a row from deuce. Win the first and you have advantage. Win the next and you take the game; lose it and you return to deuce.
For example: you serve at deuce, win one rally and lose the next. Neither player has won the game. You are back at deuce. Some matches use a different rule called no-ad scoring. At deuce, one final point decides the game instead.
Read the scoreboard in layers
Points build games; games build sets; sets decide the match. On a scoreboard, identify the player names and the columns for completed sets, current-set games and current-game points. Check who is serving rather than assuming it is the player in the top row.
If the current games are 4–3 and the points are 30–40, the next rally decides a point in the current game, not the entire set. Keep those two counts separate.
A usual tie-break set can finish 6–4 or 7–5. At 6–6, a tie-break counts points as 1, 2, 3… A standard seven-point tie-break needs a two-point lead. Formats vary; the USTA guide also explains deciding-set exceptions.
Call the next score
You are serving at 30–40 and win the rally. The answer is deuce: three points each. Under advantage scoring, you still need two consecutive points to take the game.
Once you can follow the games, try predicting when the players will change ends. Or test what you know in the Sports Quiz.