Why is a score of 0 called 'Love' in tennis and other racquet games? - Quora Quora Sports Why is a score of 0 called "Love" in tennis and other racquet games? Tennis, Badminton, Table tennis, Squash (not exhaustive list) all these games start at "Love all" and a player remains in love until he scores a point. At the same time this type of scoring is mainly in racquet games. If Brazil wins Spain 3-0 its called "Three nil" and not "Three Love" What is the association of Love with no score and racquet games. Written Jun 23, 2013 Great question. The actual origin of the word "love" in racket sports is disputed. It was likely from French origin, and the most widely accepted theory is that it derives from the French word for an egg ( l'ouef ), because an egg looks like the number zero. This is similar to the origin of the term 'duck in cricket, as in a duck's egg, which implies that the batsman got out without scoring.

"Love" might also derive from l'heure "the hour" in French, or come from the Dutch expression iets voor lof doen, meaning to do something for praise, and not for monetary benefit. Another theory on the origins of the use of love comes from the acceptance that, at the start of a match, when the scores are still zero, the players still have "love for each other." Written Nov 30, 2015 Many of the words used in Tennis today came from French Language. The word Love (for zero score) comes from French word l'oeuf - which means egg which is the shape of zero. The word Tennis itself originated from the French word tenez - which means to receive. The word Deuce comes from French words à deux le jeu - which means both players have the game, anyone can win. That is score is tied.

See these articles about history of tennis terminology - Written Nov 19, 2015 I've read that the reason "love" means "zero" in tennis is that it is a corruption of the French words "l'oeuf," meaning "the egg." Just as in other sports fans and commentators jocularly use metaphors for zero like "wearing the collar," in tennis "l'oeuf" came to mean zero, and in English it sounded like love. Written Jul 10, 2013 Although the theory is often heard that it represents the French word l'oeuf an 'egg' (from the resembance between an egg and a nought) this seems unlikely. The term "love" is said to come from the English phrase "neither for love nor for money", indicating nothing. (Taken from the book entitled The Guinness Book of Tennis Facts & Feats and Fifteen Love). Also, it can be traced to the 17th-century expression "play for love," meaning 'to play without any wager, for nothing'.

It is this meaning of 'nothing' that love takes on when used in tennis--and in certain card games, as well as in the occasional British football commentary . The proper way to describe a score of zero to zero is to say love-all. Source(s): Written Jul 3, 2013 There are a couple theories, according to good ole Wikipedia ( Tennis score ) The origin of the use of "love" for zero is also disputed. It is possible that it derives from the French expression for "the egg" (l'œuf) because an egg looks like the number zero. [2] [3] This is similar to the origin of the term "duck" in cricket , supposedly from "duck's egg", referring to a batsman who has been called out without completing a run. "Love" is also said to derive from l'heure "the hour" in French[ citation needed ]. A third possibility comes from the Dutch expression iets voor lof doen, which means to do something for praise, implying no monetary stakes.

[4] Another theory on the origins of the use of "love" comes from the acceptance that, at the start of any match, when scores are at zero, players still have "love for each other". [5] What does "love" mean in tennis? | Dictionary.com Blog July 11, 2010 by: Dictionary.com 53 Comments A novice tennis fan wouldn’t be blamed for being confused about who’s winning a match—an understanding of the language of tennis scores is needed to appreciate the game! Unlike soccer, basketball, and baseball, which simply count points for every goal, basket, and run, tennis has a scoring system (and lexicon) all its own. At the beginning of the game, when both sides have no score, the game is love-love because in tennis, love means having a score of zero or nil. One point brings a player to 15, two to 30; and three to 40. The next point wins the game, unless a complex series of tiebreakers comes into play, because in order to win a tennis match, a player must win by a margin of two. Where did the game gets its affectionate score for zero?

The Oxford English Dictionary suggests that the term might be rooted in the colloquial phrase “for love,” meaning “without stakes being wagered.” This theory reflects the sport’s long history of etiquette and sportsmanship. Others theorize that love arose from the French word for “egg,” l’oeuf, because a zero on a scoreboard resembles an egg. This is a clever claim, but it remains unsubstantiated. Tennis might have ended up with a different name altogether. Major Walter Wingfield, who laid down the rules for modern tennis, had another name for tennis. He called it sphairistike, based on the Greek phrase “skill in playing at ball.” The word tennis most likely comes from the French word tenetz — meaning “hold!” — the imperative conjugation of the verb tenir. Etymologists hypothesize that this was an early command used in the game, but there is no firm evidence to support this. Have you heard other theories about why love is used in tennis? Tennis Vocabulary | English Club Download the Prepositions ebook! Tennis Vocabulary This page covers the vocabulary and language of tennis by looking at its background, equipment and people. Check your understanding with the vocabulary quiz and comprehension quiz .

Tennis is one of the world's most widely-played sports, enjoyed by players of all ages. It is also a popular spectator sport, with star players in glamorous tournaments watched on TV by millions of fans all over the world. Women's matches attract as much interest as the men's, and tennis is one of the few professional sports in which women can earn as much prize money as men. Singles matches are played between two players and doubles matches are between two teams of two players. Each player uses a racket (also spelled racquet) to hit a felt-covered ball over a net into their opponent's side of a court. A player wins a point when his or her opponent cannot return a shot, or the opponent's shot doesn't land in the court. History The modern form of tennis first appeared in the 19th century, but earlier forms of the game had been played in Europe for centuries. The most well-known was real tennis (or royal tennis), which had been popular with royal families and the rich since the thirteenth century.

In 1571, French King Charles IX gave permission for the 'Corporation of Tennis Professionals', a type of 'pro tour', to be started, which shows how popular real tennis had become. The game became less popular around the time of the French Revolution, however, because of its links with royalty and the 'ruling classes' that people blamed for social injustices. In England in 1873, Major Walter Clopton Wingfield revived interest in the game by simplifying the rules and designing new courts that were easier and cheaper to build. He called his new version of the game 'lawn tennis' and kept most of the old scoring system, and many of the original French words used in real tennis, such as love and deuce. Why does love mean zero? Love, meaning zero (in tennis only), comes from the French expression l'oeuf, meaning the egg, and was used because of an egg's round shape, similar to zero (0). How the Game Works Tennis is played on a rectangular court, usually with a grass, clay, or hard court surface.

The court is 78 feet (23.77 m) long and 27 feet (8.23 m) wide for singles matches and 36 feet (10.97 m) wide for doubles matches. The net is 3 feet 6 inches (1.07 m) high at the outer posts and 3 feet (.914 m) high in the middle. Lines divide the court into different areas, including four 'service boxes' in the centre of the court, in which serves must land. Before a match begins, one player is designated server in the first game, and play begins with this player serving the ball from one side of the back of the court into the service box diagonally opposite. If the serve is good, the receiver must hit it back into the server's side of the court. Play continues until one player cannot return a shot, or hits a shot out of the court, and loses the point. The server then serves again, and play continues until one player scores enough points to win the first game. Then the second game begins with the player who received in the first game now serving.

Play continues until a player wins the first 'set' by being the first to win at least six games. Then the second set begins, and play continues until a player has won enough sets to win the match. In a 'best of three' match, the winner is the first to win two sets, and in a 'best of five' match, the winner is the first to win three sets. Professional players learn to use many different shots, including the serve, forehand, backhand, volley, half-volley, overhead smash, drop shot, and lob. They also learn how to put spin on their shots to make them more difficult to return, and learn how to use tactics to win, such as by playing to their opponent's weaknesses. Tournaments Every year hundreds of tournaments are held for professional players. The biggest of these are the Grand Slam tournaments; the Australian Open, the French Open, The Championships at Wimbledon in England, and the US Open. The greatest challenge in tennis is to win all four Grand Slam tournaments in one year. In men's singles this has only ever been done by two players; Don Budge (1938) and Rod Laver (1962 and 1969).

In women's singles it has been done by only three players; Maureen Connolly (1953), Margaret Smith Court (1970), and Steffi Graf (1988). Famous Players Rod Laver Born in 1938 in Rockhampton, Australia, Rod Laver is said by many tennis historians to be the greatest player of all time. He is the only player to have won the men's singles Grand Slam two times. At 1.72 metres, Rod Laver was not as tall as many of today's players, but he had a strong arm and his shots were powerful. He was very fast around the court, and very accurate with his play. He was also a very clever player, and often won matches by outwitting his opponents tactically. Steffi Graf Steffi Graf was born in Mannheim, Germany in 1969, and is one of the greatest female tennis players of all time. She won 107 singles titles, including 22 Grand Slam singles titles.

In 1988, Graf became the only player to have ever achieved a 'Golden Slam' by winning the Olympic gold medal in singles as well as all four Grand Slam singles titles that year. No other man or woman has ever done this. She also holds the record for the total number of weeks she was rated as the number one player in the world at 377 weeks. She is also the only player to have won all four Grand Slam singles tournaments at least four times each. Steffi married Andre Agassi, the former world number one in men's tennis. Tennis Vocabulary List Andy won the match by serving a beautiful ace that was almost impossible to return. a winning serve which the receiver fails to touch with his or her racket advantage With the score at deuce, Roger returned serve with a winner and the umpire announced, 'Advantage Federer'. a player who scores a point at 'deuce' has the advantage, meaning if they win the next point, they win the game backhand If your opponent is right-handed and has a weak backhand, hit the ball to his left if you can.

a stroke in which the ball is struck on the opposite side of the body to the racquet hand ballperson ballboy/girl/kid When I was young I was a 'ballboy', and my son does the same job now, but he's a 'ballperson'. youngsters who collect balls from the court and give them to players as required baseline If a player's foot touches the baseline while serving, the serve is a foot-fault. a line at each end of the court, marking the boundary of the playing area break I got off to good start by breaking my opponent's serve in the first game of the match. to beat an opponent in a game in which the opponent is serving break point The score is 30-40, so this point is a break point and if he wins it, he wins the game. a point which will result in a break of service if it's won by the receiver crosscourt Rafael played a beautiful crosscourt volley to win the match. a shot in which the ball is hit diagonally across the court deuce The word deuce was used in real tennis for hundreds of years before the modern game developed.

a score of 40-40, after which a player must win two consecutive points to win the game double fault After serving a fault I was worried about serving a double fault, so my second serve was much slower. two faults served in a row, resulting in the server losing the point doubles In a game of doubles, the outer line down each side of the court acts as the boundary. format in which players play in teams of two drop shot Serena played a perfect drop shot that just got over the net and landed about one foot from it. a gentle shot that just drops over the net fault Maria tried to hit her serve too hard and it missed the court and was a fault. a missed serve, served into the net or served outside the correct service box forehand Chris has a very strong forehand, so his opponents play to his backhand more. a shot hit from the racket-arm side of the body game Venus won the match by two sets to one, and she won both sets by six games to four. in scoring, a game is won by winning points, a set is won by winning games, and a match is won by winning sets game point When the score gets to game point, players often get nervous and make simple mistakes.

a point that will end the game if it is won by the leading player Grand Slam A career Grand Slam means a player has won each Grand Slam tournament at least once in their career. the four major tournaments; Wimbledon and the French, U.S. and Australian Opens groundstroke Nadal is strong and he uses powerful groundstokes to keep his opponents on the run. a shot hit from the back court after the ball has bounced; the standard shot in tennis let The umpire heard the serve clip the net as it went over, so she called a let. a shot that must be replayed, such as a serve that touches the net line judge The line judge said the ball was in, but the umpire overruled him and called it out. an official who judges whether or not shots land in the court lob Her lob flew high into the air and dropped into the back of the court, just inside the baseline. a shot that is hit in a high arc, usually over the opponent's head love After starting his service game with a double fault, the score is love-fifteen. zero (this meaning is used in tennis only) match point Ana had her first three match points saved, but she won the fourth.

a point that will end the match if it is won by the leading player mixed doubles Is there a competition for mixed doubles in Tennis in the Olympic Games? doubles format in which each team is made up of one female and one male player net At the end of the match, the players jogged to the net and shook hands. the woven barrier dividing a court into halves, over which the ball must be hit racket / racquet Rackets used to be made of wood, but now they're made of materials like carbon fibre and titanium. a stringed 'bat' that players hold and use to hit the ball rally The longest rally in the match went on for 22 shots before a winner was hit. a long series of shots receiver Most receivers stand behind the baseline when they're waiting for a serve. the player receiving serves Rafael's serve was good, but Roger's return was even better and he won the point. to hit a shot back to the opponent serve Andy Roddick wins many points with his powerful serve. the shot that begins each point, in which the server hits the ball after tossing it into the air set Elena won the first set, but Maria took the next two sets to win the match.

in scoring, a player must win at least six games to win a set set point Even top players get tense or 'tight' on set points. a point that, if won by the leading player, will win him or her the game and the set tiebreaker In a tiebreaker, the winner is the first player with at least seven points, and a two-point lead. a game format used to quickly finish a set that's tied at six games each umpire The umpire sits in a tall chair at the side of the court, near the net. the official who is in overall charge of a match volley Volleys can be hard to control if there's a lot of spin on the ball. a shot on which the ball is hit before it bounces What Is Love in a Tennis Match? | eHow What Is Love in a Tennis Match? tennis rete image by Adriano La Naia from Fotolia.com The exact origin for the use of the word "love" in tennis is not clear. Many believe it has a French origin, others think that the English first used the term and still others claim it is of Dutch origin.

Love in tennis, no matter its roots, means zero, nothing or it could simply refer to playing for the love of the game. It is used to designate the score within a game, within a set and in the final score of a match. French Origin The most likely story for the origin of the term "love" is from the French word "oeuf" which means egg. The French thought that a zero resembled the oval shape of an egg and used the word "oeuf" for "no score" or zero points. Over time the word became "love". English Origin Another possible explanation for the term "love" is that as the sport of tennis spread throughout Europe, the English imported the game and they mispronounced the French word "oeuf". Over time it gradually became the word "love". It was also thought that players who scored zero and were not that skilled would play for the love of the game. Dutch Origin Some claim that the word "love" comes from the Dutch/Flemish word "lof", which means honor. Tennis matches were many times played for money and when players were unable to win and scored zero points, the expression "omme lof spelen" would be used.

This meant that a player "played for the honor" or in other words, played for nothing. Score Within a Game The score within a game is announced at the beginning of each point. Players start with zero points at the start of each game and this would be announced as love, love. The points of a tennis game are 15, 30 and 40. The server's score is always announced first. For example, if the server has won zero points and the opponent has won two points, the score would be announced "love 30" at the start of the next point. Score Within a Set During a match, the game count is announced prior to the serve of each game. This is the number of games each player has won. For example, if at the start of the third game one player has won three games and the other player has won zero games, the game score would be announced as "three games to love". A "love" set means that a player has won zero games in that set. Final Match Score At the end of a match when the final score is announced and a player has not won a single game in any given set, the word "love" is used.

For example, if a player loses a match and has won three games in the first set and zero in the second, the score of the match is written as 6-3, 6-0. This would be announced as "six three, six love". An expression among tennis players, "getting bageled", refers to a person losing a two-out-of-three set match with a final score of 6-0, 6-0, and this would be announced as "six love, six love". Bagel - definition of Bagel, Bagelled in Tennis, BuzzWord from Macmillan Dictionary.

bagel in tennis, to win a set with a score of 6-0 against your opponent bagel noun [countable] in tennis, a score of 6-0 'Keothavong, however, was bagelled in the deciding set of her prelim opener by Czech player Birnerova after the two ladies traded sets at 6-3 apiece.' Eurosport AU 23rd May 2013 'He might have bagelled the Swiss had an outrageous, flat-on-his-back volley at the net not inched wide in the sixth game of the third set.' Guardian 5th June 2013 In May 2013, sports journalists seized a rare opportunity to highlight a blip in the performance of Serena Williams, one of the most successful female tennis players of all time. In a quarter-finals match during the Madrid Open, Williams suffered the unusual blow of being bagelled by her unseeded Spanish opponent, a situation which had apparently not occurred for five years. In case this conjures up images of a frustrated opponent hurling doughnut-shaped pieces of bread at a formidable champion, then I should quickly elaborate.

If a tennis player is bagelled, then they do not win any games during a set, and therefore suffer the humiliation of seeing a 6-0 score against them appear on the scoreboard. In this set at least, it was Serena, and not her opponent, who was feeling frustrated … if being … on the receiving end of a bagel weren't frustrating enough, there's even a modified version double-bagel, which indicates the action/situation of winning two sets 6-0, 6-0 In tennis contexts therefore, it seems that the word bagel is yet another noun that has undergone the process of ' verbing ', starting life as a thing and being unexpectedly transformed into an action. Functioning as a transitive verb, bagel can be used in the active voice but more commonly appears as a passive form be/get bagelled, thereby shifting the focus to the loser rather than the set winner. Following spelling conventions in British and American English, the 'l' is doubled in participles for British usage but not in American, where the spelling would be, e.g.: bageled (c.f. travelled/traveled).

Bagel is also sometimes used as a noun in the same sense, where it simply refers to a score of 6-0. Frequent collocates are phrasal verbs such as serve up and dish out, or verbs give and complete. More BuzzWords BuzzWord archive If being bagelled or being on the receiving end of a bagel weren't frustrating enough, there's even a modified version double-bagel, which indicates the action/situation of winning two sets 6-0, 6-0 as illustrated in this recent citation describing the form of the phenomenally successful player Roger Federer: 'There was evidence of his sublime form in the quarter-finals on Friday when he double-bagelled Mischa Zverev.' The Guardian 16th June 2013 And in reference to a resounding defeat in a five-set match, there's also some evidence for use of the term triple-bagel, though this is of course a bit more unusual. Background – bagel Why bagel? The connection is simply the physical shape: a bagel, that baked piece of dough with a hole in the middle, resembles the number '0'.

Use of the word in the tennis domain dates back to the 1970s, when US tennis player Eddie Dibbs used it to refer to a score of zero games. Latterly, the baking metaphor has been extended further, with reference to a score of 6-1 as a breadstick (a straight, thin breadstick resembles the number 1). A player on a losing streak can correspondingly be breadsticked. Some commentators have even made the tongue-in-cheek suggestion that a score of 6-3 could be described as a 'pretzel' (the curly shape of a pretzel resembles the number 3), though there's no evidence as yet for this really catching on. Dibbs' use of bagel as a representation of the number zero is thought to have taken inspiration from the comparison between the number '0' and the shape of an egg. This is a throwback to tennis's French roots, where a zero score was sometimes described as 'l'oeuf'. Interestingly, this connection gives us one possible theory about why a score of 0 in tennis is described as 'love' in the modern game – some believe this was down to an English mispronunciation of French 'l'oeuf'.

by Kerry Maxwell , author of Brave New Words For teachers Would you like to use this BuzzWord article in class? Visit onestopenglish.com for tips and suggestions on how to do just that! This downloadable pdf contains a student worksheet which includes reading activities, vocabulary-building exercises and a focus on homographs. Last week … meaning - Why do they say "love fifteen," in tennis? - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange Why do they say "love fifteen," in tennis? @Danny they say both, but they're not equivalent. – Dusty Apr 12 '11 at 17:51 You have had explanations of love. The fifteen may come from a clock and means you have a quarter of the points needed to win the game. Or it may come from positions in the French jeu de paume. – Henry Apr 12 '11 at 23:57 2 To a tennis player, love means nothing — as many adoring fans have found, to their sorrow. – MT_Head Jul 6 '12 at 16:16 "Love" is one of the ways you can read the number "0".

So "fifteen love" means "The score is 15-0". There are many theories about its origin. One is (taken from Wikipedia - but you'll find this anywhere): The origin of the use of "love" for zero is also disputed. It is possible that it derives from the French expression for "the egg" (l'œuf) because an egg looks like the number zero. 1 The l'oeuf explanation is the one I've always heard. It is interesting to note that the French simply use zéro when keeping score, and keep les oeufs in the kitchen. – HaL Apr 12 '11 at 17:56 @HaL: Ahah :D well there was another one which said it was taken from Dutch. – Alenanno Apr 12 '11 at 18:01 3 Always heard this explained with "l'oeuf" like everybody else. Tennis goes back a long way in France, originating as something akin to handball in the 12th-13th centuries, and acquiring (roughly) its current form circa 1625 in England.

It seems intuitively obvious that the game's terminology would borrow from French and "l'oeuf" maps neatly over our sports term "goose egg" for "zero." ( goo.gl/ZBVZg ) – The Raven Apr 12 '11 at 18:32 3 The French don't use love, but more oddly they don't use deuce (à deux) either. – Henry Apr 12 '11 at 23:51 1 @Henry strangely enough they don't use the word "tennez" from which "Tennis" derives, they say "Tennis" ;) – Julien Ch. Aug 9 '12 at 12:21 1 I find it equally unlikely that they felt that people who actually scored points no longer enjoy playing. I guess this will have to remain a mystery. – T.E.D. Jul 6 '12 at 16:02 1 @T.E.D., I doubt that’s what’s implied. Rather, the point is that you are playing for the points that you have, and of course to turn them into a win.

But when you have no points, you have no points to play for, so you can only play out of love for the game. Still an odd, roundabout way of saying things (and an odd thing to say), but not quite so odd as to indicate that you stop loving the game as soon as you get points. – Janus Bahs Jacquet Dec 22 '13 at 14:51 @T.J.Crowder Fixed the link. If you can find a better answer from a more authoritative source, please submit a new answer. – choster Sep 8 '15 at 14:17 Nice one updating the link. That page surprises me -- it offers no supporting evidence of any kind, is littered with ads, and yet claims association with the Oxford University Press. I would expect better from the OUP. – T.J. Crowder Sep 8 '15 at 14:22 Do you have a citation for this, or is it original to you? Either way, not sure how it answers the question. – James McLeod Jul 4 '15 at 18:55 It is my idea. Love for cero points makes no sense at all.

One explanation is French l'oeuf, because the form reminds of cero/naught, one explanation is to play for love. One explanation as queer as the other. And I see that love can be a right-left variant with the sense of fault/no point. I know my explanation seems curious as right-left etymology is no known thing, but it is no more curious than the other explanations. – rogermue Jul 4 '15 at 19:04 Can you provide any other examples? It seems a bit far-fetched to me. – James McLeod Jul 5 '15 at 2:41 German Loch rl English hole (rl means right left connection,) - G Topf rl G Pot, E pot - G läut-en rl E to toll (a bell) and about 200 others, pairs between various languages. – rogermue Jul 5 '15 at 2:54 Sounds like you are trying to explain a simple coincidence in spelling. The sounds came before the spelling, and there is no sound like English "h" in "loch." Regardless, this is not a discussion board and not an appropriate place to mount a discussion of your theory.

– James McLeod Jul 5 '15 at 16:30 Where Did Tennis Get Its Scoring System? | Mental Floss Where Did Tennis Get Its Scoring System? Getty Images Like us on Facebook Love? 15-30...40? What's the deal with tennis scoring? There’s no shortage of theories. Here are a few of them, along with input from sportscaster and former tennis pro Mary Carillo (pictured above with Rafael Nadal after his win in last night's U.S. Open men's final). Love You know how sometimes when a team in any sport comes up empty-handed on points, it’s said that there was a big ol’ goose egg on the scoreboard? Some people believe that a similar French expression is the reason zero points is called “love” in tennis. L’oeuf is French for “egg,” you see, so the thought is that over the years, we’ve slowly butchered the pronunciation into “love.” Carillo agrees: “It’s the goose egg, exactly.

Most tennis historians believe the French translation of ‘egg’ is probably the most likely theory.” There's a less popular theory that we’ve managed to twist the Dutch or Flemish word “lof,” meaning “honor.” The idea is that the player with zero points is simply playing for honor—because he or she certainly isn’t playing for a win. But that’s not all the Dutch have up their sleeves: one more possibility stems from the lof in the phrase “iets voor lof doen,” which means to do something for praise. The Oxford English Dictionary suggests that love really does mean “love.” The only thing keeping a scoreless player on the court is the love of the game. A final “love” theory that doesn’t involve any kind of mistranslation or mispronunciation at all: When both players start at zero points and no one is winning or losing, they still have love for each other. The 15-30-40 scoring Now that “love” is as clear as mud, let’s figure out why tennis is scored in what appears to be a completely random jumble of numbers.

Before there was tennis, there was a French game called jeu de paume (“palm game”) that was very similar to tennis, but players used their hands instead of a racquet. The scoring system we use for tennis today was based on jeu de paume’s system, but the reason for that 15-30-40-Game scoring is still a little shaky. There are three possibilities. First is the theory that, back in the pre-Revolution days, the 1000-plus jeu de paume courts in French were 90 feet total, 45 per side. Upon scoring, the server got to move up 15 feet. Another score meant another 15-foot scoot forward. Since a third score would put the server right at the net, 10 feet was the last bump forward. If you’ve ever noticed the scoring system’s similarity to a clock face, you’re not alone. “That’s the theory I think is most common—that you’re just playing your way around the clock,” Carillo said.

It makes even more sense when you know that in medieval numerology, the number 60 was considered a nice, round number, the way 100 is a satisfying set of digits today. Finally, the Europeans were preoccupied with astronomy and sextant (one-sixth of a circle), which is 60 degrees, so they may have scored the game around the completion of a perfect circle. From the United States Tennis Association Official Encyclopedia of Tennis: "In early records of the game in France, sets were played to four games. Since sixty degrees make a full circle when multiplied by six, it is thought that matches were six sets of four games each. Therefore, each point was worth fifteen degrees, or points, contributing to the whole. The game concluded when one player completed a full circle of 360 degrees." Whichever one of these is the correct answer, it’s generally agreed that scoring used to be exactly what any logical person thinks it should be: 15, 30, 45, 60 (game). Over time, we’ve adapted 45 to 40 because it’s more clearly understood when yelled out on a court; “forty” can’t be confused with any other number.

Seinfeld's Theory One of Carillo’s favorite scoring theories is not one you’ll find in history books. “I actually love the Seinfeld scoring system,” she told us. In typical Jerry Seinfeld fashion, he speculates that the points are awarded simply because playing tennis is just so damn hot: Whatever the real reasons for the scoring system are, one thing's for certain: Tennis wouldn’t be tennis without the unique point tally. “I happen to love the scoring system,” Carillo said. “Because of it, you have games like the one that was won in 21 minutes [on Saturday], when Novak Djokovic won the semifinal against Stanislas Wawrinka. It was thrilling, it was absolutely thrilling. There was a standing ovation. As weird as the scoring system is, it just creates great tension and tactics in every game.” More from mental_floss... Tennis: Glossary of terms and definitions Back to the main Tennis page Ace - a serve that is a winner without the receiving tennis player able to return the ball. Ad court - the part of the tennis court that is to the left of the tennis players Advantage - when a tennis player needs one more point to win the game after the score was deuce.

Alley - the extra area of the side court used for doubles. ATP - stand for the Association of Tennis Professionals Backhand - a way to swing the tennis racquet where the player hits the ball with a swing that comes across the body. Backspin - spin of a tennis ball that causes the ball to slow down and/or bounce low. Backswing - the motion of a swing that moves the racquet into position to swing forward and strike the ball. Baseline - the line indicating back of the court. Baseliner - a tennis player whose strategy is to play from the baseline. See Tennis Strategies for more. Break - when the server loses the game Break point - one point away from breaking serve Chip - blocking a shot with backspin Chip and charge - an aggressive strategy to return the opponent's serve with backspin and move forward to the net for a volley Chop - a tennis shot with extreme backspin. Meant to stop the ball where it lands. Counterpuncher - another name for a player who is a defensive baseliner.

Court - the area where a tennis game is played Crosscourt - hitting the tennis ball diagonally into the opponent's court Deep - refers to a shot that bounces near the baseline verses near the net Deuce - when the score in a game is 40 to 40. Deuce court - the right side of the court Double Fault - two missed serves in a row. The server will lose the point. Doubles - a tennis game played by four players, two per side of the court. Down the line - hitting a tennis shot straight down the baseline Drop shot - a strategy where the tennis player hits the ball just go over the net. It is used when the opponent is far from the net. Drop volley - a drop shot from a volley Fault - a service that is not in play. First Service - the first of the two serves of a tennis ball a player is allowed. Generally the server will try a more difficult serve on the first service. Flat - a shot with little to no spin Follow through - the part of the swing after the ball is hit. A good follow through is important for accuracy and power. Foot fault - when the server steps over the baseline while making a serve.

Forehand - a tennis swing where the player hits the tennis ball from behind their body. Often the forehand is the players best stroke. Game point - one point away to win the tennis game. Grand Slam - any one of the four most prestigious tennis tournaments including the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. Groundstroke - a forehand or backhand shot made after the tennis ball bounces once on the court Head - the top part of the racket that has the strings and is meant to hit the ball. Hold - when the server wins the tennis game. I-formation - a formation in doubled where the both players stand on the same side of the court prior to starting the point. Jamming - to hit the tennis ball straight to the opponent's body not allowing them to extend the racquet to hit the ball well. Kick serve - a serve with a lot of spin causing the ball to bounce high Let - when the tennis ball from a service touches the net but still lands within the service box. The server gets another try as this does not count as a fault. Lob - a tennis shot where the ball is lifted high above the net.

Can be a defensive shot in some cases, but also may cause a winner when the ball is just out of reach of the opponent, but still lands in play. Love - zero points in a tennis game. Match point - when one tennis player only needs one more point to win the entire match Out - any tennis ball that lands outside the area of play. Passing shot - when the tennis ball is hit such that it passes by the opponent at the net without them being able to hit the ball. Poaching - an aggressive strategy in doubles where the tennis player at net attempts to volley a shot hit to their partner on the baseline. Tennis Racquet - the main piece of equipment in tennis. It has a long handle and a oval shaped head with a string mesh stretched across it. It is used by the tennis player to hit the ball. Rally - when players hit the ball back and forth to each other while the ball is landing in play. Set point - when a tennis player needs one point to win the set Singles - a tennis game played by two players Second Service - the second serve that the server is allowed after missing the first serve. This serve must be successful or the server will lose the point (called a double fault).

Serve - starts the point by the server hitting the tennis ball into the opponents half of the court Serve and volley - a tennis strategy where the player serves and then charges forward to the net for a volley off of the return. Spin - rotation of the tennis ball as it moves through the air. Skilled tennis players can control the spin and, therefore, the ball's trajectory and bounce Straight sets - when one player wins every set in a match. Topspin - when the tennis ball spins forward. This can cause it to bounce higher as well as dip down quickly. Unforced error - a missed shot by a player that was not caused by any excellent play by their opponent. Volley - a shot where the ball is hit by the player's racquet before the ball hits the ground. Winner - an outstanding tennis shot that cannot be returned by the opponent. WTA - stands for Women's Tennis Association britishtennis.com - The British Tennis Website Association of Tennis Professionals. The ATP are the governing body of the men's professional tennis circuit. Backhand To hit the ball across your body. across the left of your body if you are right handed, and across the right of your body if left handed.

Backspin To hit the bottom of the ball making it spin backwards while moving forwards. See also Dropshot and Slice. Baseline The lines at either end of the tennis court, where you serve from. Baseline Tennis Lleyton Hewitt is the perfect example, as he is a Baseliner. It simply means that players remain on the baseline during a rally. This method of trying to win points can be tiring, but a good Baseliner will either wear down an opponent or set them up for passing shot. Best Of Three (or Five) This is the number of Sets to be played in a match. Men usually play Best Of Five where they need to win 3 Sets to win the game. Women usually play Best Of Three where they need to win 2 Sets to wint the game. Blue Collar Tennis You're under pressure in a match and need to work extra hard to win those points! Break Point The point in a game where the server risks losing his serve. For example, the score could be 30-40, 15-40, 40-Advantage, etc. Break Of Serve When the server loses the Break Point, and therefore loses the game, this is termed a Break Of Service.

Bye Before the start of a tournament seeded players can be given a Bye, which means they are automatically awarded a place in the second round of the tournament. Center Mark This is the small line you find across the middle of the Baseline. You must be the correct side of this line while serving. Champions Tie Break Follows the same format as a regular Tie-Break, except the winner is the first to 10 points with 2 points clear. An example of where this is used is The Masters Tennis tournament, the most popular indoor tennis tournament in the UK. Change Of Ends Players are required to change ends after every uneven numbered game. Clay Court Not often found in the UK! These courts are made of crushed shale, brick, or stone. We do have some Green Clay courts in the UK (same type as in the USA) and they are quite fast, compared to the slower Red Clay courts found mostly in Europe. Continental Grip A way of holding your tennis racket in order to help you hit powerful serves, volleys, backhands, and smashes. Cross Shot A shot that you hit diagonally across the tennis court, from either the baseline or near the net.

If near the net you will usually be required to put a lot more Topspin on the ball in order to bring the ball down quickly enough. Deuce If both you and your opponent have 40 points each this is called Deuce. Donut If you score zero (0) games in a set this may be referred to as a Donut. Double Bagel If you score zero (0) games in two sets this may be referred to as a Double Bagel. Double Fault If the server fails to serve correctly on both 1st and 2nd serves this is called a Double Fault. The server then loses this point. Drive A powerful shot using a bit of Topspin. Common as a passing shot down the line to leave your opponent scrambling for the ball. Drop Shot You need to use a lot of Backspin to perform this shot. It is a more severe version of a Slice, in that the idea is to get the ball just over the net and stop almost immediately just after the net without much bounce. Eastern Grip A Forehand grip which which enables the ball to be hit ahead of the body with good follow-through with the racket. Exhibition Match A match where no points are awarded to players towards their ATP or WTA rankings.

This is for pure entertainment, apart from the fact that players are often paid large sums of appearance money! Flat Serve A serve hit very flat and low over the net without any spin. Generally used as a 1st serve as there is greater risk of hitting the net. Follow-through Used when performing a ground stroke. Rather than hitting the ball and stopping your racket head quickly, you Follow-through with the racket so it almost ends up over your shoulder. The Follow-through is very influential in the length, speed, and direction of the ground stroke. Foot Fault Where the server puts his foot onto or over the Baseline before hitting the ball. If performed on a 1st serve, you will only have your 2nd serve remaining. If performed on your 2nd serve you lose the point. Forecourt This is the part of the court between the net and the service line. Usually where you would attempt to volley the ball back over rather than letting it bounce first. Forehand To hit the ball from the side where you naturally hold your racket. Game Each Set is comprised of at least 6 Games. Game Point A point that either server or receiver needs to win a game.

Golden Set A set of tennis which is won 6-0 without dropping a single point. Only one player in the history of professional tennis has ever achieved this, Bill Scanlon (USA). It was against Marcos Hocevar (Brazil) in the first round of the WCT Gold Coast Classic at Del Ray (Florida, USA) on 22 February 1983. Bill Scanlon won the match 6-2, 6-0. Grand Slam To win all 4 of major tennis tournaments (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open) in one season you are said to have won the Grand Slam. Therefore, the 4 major tournaments are also known as Grand Slam events. Ground Strokes Any type of shot (Forehand and Backhand) across the net where the ball bounces. Half Court The half of the court nearest to the service line. Half-volley To hit the tennis ball immediately after it has off the ground, so you're hitting the ball on it's upward bounce. Hard Court A tennis court which has a surface made from asphalt, concrete, etc. Hot Dog Used to describe a showoff on the tennis court i.e. a player smashing the ball at every opportunity or playing trick shots.

A perfect example would be trick shot legend Mansour Bahrami. Inside-Out An Inside-Out Forehand is to run around the ball to take it on your forehand, even though it has been hit to you in a natural backhand position. An Inside-Out Backhand is the exact opposite. Kick Serve A serve with plenty of spin enabling it to change direction once hitting the ground. This can result in the receiver misreading the bounce of the ball and playing a sub-standard return shot. Let Called to announce that a point is to be replayed. A common example is when a serve clips the top of the net but still lands correctly in the court. Lob To hit the ball over your opponents head using a lot of Topspin. Best played when your opponent is at the net. Love When one of the tennis players has a score of zero (0). Match Point A point that either server or receiver needs to win a match. Mini-break If the server loses one of his two service points during a Tie-break, this is called a Mini-break. Net Same as a Let call (see above).

Overhead Smash A shot played above the head, hitting the ball downwards, hard and fast into your opponents side of the court Overrule Where the Umpire decides his opinion of a line-call (etc.) is better than that of a line judge. Passing Shot A shot played down the line while your opponent is close to the net, but is unable to return. Qualifying Competition Seeded players are always pre-qualified for tournaments, but lesser players must perform well in Qualifying Competitions in order to earn their place in many tournaments. Rubber A term used in the Davis Cup, which essentially means a "heat" or a "leg". The Davis Cup consists of one Doubles Rubber and four Singles Rubbers. As an example, if you win the first Singles match, you have won a Rubber or a Singles Rubber. Serena Slam A term created after Serena Williams consecutively won all 4 Grand Slam events, but not in the same season. In 2002 Serena won the French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open, followed by the Australian Open in 2003. Show Court (Showcourt) A tennis court which is the one of the most prized of all to play on or to spectate on.

For example, at Wimbledon the show courts are Centre Court, No.1 Court, and No.2 Court. Slice You use Backspin to perform this type of shot. Often used as a defensive shot to return fast served ball deep into your opponents court and slow the game down. Similar in execution to the Drop Shot. Tie break This method is used to determine the winner of a Set once the score in Games is 6-6. See Rules Of Tennis (Brief) for full details. Or see above for details of the Champions Tie Break variant. Topspin To hit the top of the ball making it spin forwards while moving forwards, and forcing the ball to curve down over the net. Umpire The person who controls the game, the players, the score, and his line judges! Unforced Error Where a player is not under any pressure from an opponent yet plays a shot which does not land in the court. Volley To hit the ball before it bounces. Western A way of holding your tennis racket in order to help you hit Topspin Forehand shots. Wildcard Given to select players who have not qualified for a tournament so they can participate.

Preference usually given to young talent in the host country and also big name players who have slipped down the rankings. Wing Term often used meaning Backhand side and/or Forehand side. For example, a player may be comfortable to volley from either Wing. WTA

Question: Which word is used for the score of zero in a game of tennis?
Answer: Love