The sport most famously associated with “love” is tennis: it means a score of zero. If a tennis player has not scored a point in a game, the score is called love.
This guide explains how love fits into tennis scoring, what calls such as “love-15” mean, and how tennis compares with other racket sports. You’ll also find a practical way to follow the score and a clear note on the word’s uncertain origin.
which sport uses love in scoring?
Tennis is the sport best known for using “love” to mean zero. A player with no points in the current game has a score of love. For example, “love-30” means one player has zero points and the other has 30.
The term refers only to the score within a game. It does not mean the player has scored a point, and it does not describe the match result by itself. Tennis tracks points, games, and sets as separate parts of the score.
Badminton also uses “love” for zero in common score announcements, such as “love-all” at the start of a game. But tennis remains the clearest and most familiar answer to the question because love is a defining part of its traditional scoring vocabulary.
What does love mean in tennis?
In tennis, love means zero points in the current game. The unusual word replaces the number zero when players and officials announce the score.
At the beginning of a game, the score is love-all. If the server wins the first point, the score becomes 15-love. If the receiver wins it instead, the score is love-15. The server’s score is announced first.
Love does not mean zero games or zero sets. A player can have a score of love in a game while already leading the match. For instance, a player might be ahead by one set but have no points in the game currently being played.
How tennis scoring moves from love to game
A standard tennis game uses point calls of love, 15, 30, and 40. The first player to win four points usually wins the game, but they must lead by at least two points.
- Love: Neither player has won a point in the game.
- 15: A player has won one point.
- 30: A player has won two points.
- 40: A player has won three points and is one point from winning the game, provided they are ahead by two.
- Game: A player wins the game by reaching the required lead.
The sequence is not a simple count from zero to four. The labels 15, 30, and 40 are traditional calls. Once both players reach 40, the score is called deuce, not 40-all.
At deuce, one player must win two points in a row to take the game. The first point gives that player an advantage. Winning the next point wins the game; losing it returns the score to deuce.
Examples of common score calls
- Love-all: Both players have zero points in the game.
- Love-15: The server has zero points, and the receiver has one.
- 15-love: The server has one point, and the receiver has zero.
- 30-30: Each player has won two points.
- 40-love: One player is at 40, while the other has not scored.
- Deuce: Both players have reached 40, and neither has the required two-point lead.
These calls describe points in the game, not the number of games or sets won. That distinction helps explain why a player can hear “love” even after the match has been underway for some time.
How tennis points, games, and sets fit together
A tennis match is built from three scoring levels. Points make up games, games make up sets, and sets make up the match. Love applies to the point score within a game.
Players usually need to win six games to take a set, with a lead of at least two games. If the set reaches six games all, many formats use a tiebreak. The exact match format can vary by competition, so the number of sets needed to win is not the same everywhere.
This structure explains why “love” cannot be read as a complete match score. A call such as 6-0 might describe games in a set, while love describes a player’s point score in the game being played. In tennis, a set won 6-0 is often called a love set.
Which other sports use the word love?
Tennis is the best-known example, but it is not the only racket sport where love may appear. Badminton commonly uses love to announce zero, while scoring terminology can vary across sports and competitions.
| Sport | How love is used | Best way to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| Tennis | Love means zero points in a game. | The standard answer and most familiar use. |
| Badminton | Love may be used for zero in calls such as “love-all.” | Read it as zero points in that game. |
| Other sports | Scoring language depends on the sport and its rules. | Do not assume love means zero unless that sport uses the term. |
The useful distinction is that a word may be shared without the full scoring systems being the same. Tennis and badminton both use points to decide games, but their point sequences and match formats differ.
Why is zero called love?
The origin of tennis “love” is uncertain. A widely repeated explanation connects the word to the French l’œuf, meaning “the egg.” An egg’s shape resembles a zero, which could explain the term.
That explanation is popular, but it is not established as fact. Other theories link love to playing “for love” rather than for money. The safest answer is that the word’s history is disputed, even though its modern meaning in tennis is clear: zero.
For players, the origin matters less than recognizing the call. If the score is love-30, one side has zero points and the other has two. The number tells you the current game score regardless of how the term developed.
How to follow a tennis score without getting confused
If you are watching a match or learning to play, keep track of the game score separately from the set score. This small habit prevents the most common misunderstanding: treating love as the player’s total score for the match.
- Listen for the two point scores. The server’s score is usually called first.
- Translate love as zero. Love-15 means zero points for the first player and one for the second.
- Notice when the call reaches 40. The game is close, but a two-point lead is still needed.
- Listen for deuce and advantage. These calls explain what happens when both players reach 40.
- Keep the set score separate. The number of games won does not replace the point score in the current game.
Practical tip: If you lose track during a point, wait for the next score announcement and write down the two numbers. Do not try to infer the point score from the game or set score on the scoreboard.
Common misunderstandings about love in tennis
Love does not mean a player has lost the match
It only means zero points in the current game. A player can be ahead in games or sets and still start a new game at love.
Love-40 is not the same as losing the set
Love-40 means one player has zero points and the other has 40 in a single game. The player at love can still win the game by taking the next points, though the other player is close to winning it.
Love-all does not mean the match has no winner
Love-all is a starting point call for a game. It simply tells you that neither player has scored in that game yet.
Once you connect love with zero points in the current game, tennis score calls become much easier to follow. Remember the order—server first—and treat points, games, and sets as separate counts.
So, which sport uses love most famously? Tennis, where love means zero points in a game; badminton also uses the term in some score calls. The word’s origin remains uncertain, but its meaning on court is straightforward.
Next time you watch tennis, listen for the server’s score first and translate love as zero. That simple habit makes calls such as love-15, 40-love, and deuce much easier to understand.