40–40 in tennis: why the next point does not win
Mara wins a point at 40–40. She raises a fist, but the game is still alive. Follow the score through one small comeback, then make two calls yourself.
One point ahead is not enough
Mara serves; Noé receives. In this fictional game, they use ordinary advantage scoring. At 40–40, Mara wins the next point. That gives her advantage: she is one point ahead. She needs another point to finish the game. If Noé wins instead, they return to deuce.
The rule underneath the strange numbers is simple: win at least four points, with a lead of two. At the first 40–40, each player has won three. One more makes it four against three, which is still too close.
Rewind: the numbers are labels
Zero is called love in English. A player’s first three points are labelled 15, 30 and 40. Those are score names, not fifteen or thirty separate rallies. In an ordinary game, the server’s score is announced first.
Mara wins twice: 15–0, then 30–0. Noé wins: 30–15. Mara wins again: 40–15. She now has two game points: winning either of the next two points would close the game. But Noé wins both, taking the score through 40–30 to 40–40.
Mara is still serving. Winning a point does not transfer the serve. In singles, the other player serves the next ordinary game.
The little comeback that keeps the game alive
Now replay the opening scene. From deuce, Mara wins: advantage Mara. Noé sends the next ball past her: deuce again. Noé wins once more: advantage Noé. He now has a break point, a chance to win the game while receiving.
Mara saves it: deuce. She wins the following point: advantage Mara. Then she wins again: game Mara. Only those last two consecutive points settle it. Earlier advantages bought chances, not points that could be saved for later.
A broadcast may show AD beside the player with advantage. After another return to deuce, you do not need to reconstruct every rally: neither player currently has that one-point lead.
Your call 1: what is the score?
Choose an answer, or open “Answers and explanations” to check without using the buttons.
Answers and explanations
- Game Léa: Léa has only drawn level. Both players have now won three points.
- Deuce: 30–40 means the server was one point behind. Léa’s point brings her to 40–40: deuce.
- Advantage Léa: Léa must win another point from deuce before she has advantage.
Zoom out: point → game → set → match
Winning that long game adds one game to Mara’s set score. The point score then starts again at 0–0. Games collect into sets; sets decide the match.
In a standard tiebreak set, six games win if the other player has four or fewer. At 5–5, play continues: 7–5 wins the set; 6–6 leads to a tiebreak. A best-of-three match needs two sets to win; best-of-five needs three. Check the event’s format before applying those rules.
A tiebreak has its own counter
In an ordinary seven-point tiebreak, count 0, 1, 2, 3… The target is at least seven points with a two-point lead. Thus 7–5 finishes it, but 7–6 does not. The tiebreak winner takes the set, recorded as 7–6 in games.
Serving also changes. The player due to serve takes the first point. The opponent serves the next two; after that, they alternate two points each. Do not carry the one-server-per-game pattern into this special game.
Your call 2: has the tiebreak ended?
This is a separate seven-point tiebreak. All answer explanations are also available in the disclosure below.
Answers and explanations
- Ari wins the tiebreak, 8–6: Ari has at least seven points and now leads by two. The ordinary seven-point tiebreak is over.
- They must reach ten points: Ten is a target in other formats. This question specifies an ordinary seven-point tiebreak.
- They return to deuce: Tiebreak points continue as numbers. Here 8–6 ends the tiebreak; it does not become 40–40.
Before you call the next point
These examples use one common format. No-ad scoring makes a single deciding point settle the game at deuce. Short sets and match tiebreaks also exist; a ten-point match tiebreak can replace the final set. A ten-point tiebreak played at 6–6 in a final set is a different arrangement.
For the next match you watch, identify the scoring format, the server and the current level: points, games or sets. At ordinary deuce, the useful question is: who can win two points in a row?