Why is zero called love in tennis?
Facts checked November 2, 2026 by the French Open Insider editorial team
Short answer
Nobody knows for sure. The best-known story is that love comes from the French l'oeuf, the egg, because a 0 looks like one, but that expression is not used in French. Lexicographer Jesse Sheidlower calls "playing for love", meaning for nothing, the most plausible origin. In French itself, zero is simply zéro.
Where does love for zero come from?
"Historians don't really know for sure, but there are a few theories," NPR reported in June 2026. These are the three it lists:
| Theory | The idea | Status |
|---|---|---|
| L'oeuf, French for egg | A 0 on the scoreboard looks like an egg | Popular but doubted: the expression does not appear in French |
| Playing for love | Love means playing for nothing, with no stakes; the Oxford English Dictionary links the score to this sense | Called "the most plausible" by lexicographer Jesse Sheidlower |
| Lof, Dutch for honor | The Dutch word for honor, borrowed into the game | Listed by NPR; Sheidlower prefers "for love" |
Is love from the French word l'oeuf?
Probably not, though it is the version most people hear. The idea is that a zero looks like an egg, l'oeuf in French, and English players heard the word as love.
Jesse Sheidlower, the lexicographer NPR interviewed, doubts it because "that expression doesn't appear in French". French players and fans say zéro.
What do the French say instead of love, deuce and tie-break?
French has its own score words. If you follow a match in French, these are the ones you will hear:
| Score | English | French |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | love | zéro |
| 40-40 | deuce | égalité |
| Next point after 40-40 | advantage | avantage |
| Game played at 6-6 | tie-break | jeu décisif (bris d'égalité in French-speaking Canada) |
Where does the word deuce come from?
From French, even though the French do not use it. Deuce comes from the Anglo-French deus, meaning two (modern French deux), from the Latin duos. The often-repeated story that it comes from the phrase "à deux" is a theory, not settled.
Under the ITF rules, at three points each the score is deuce, the next point gives advantage, and a player must win two points in a row to take the game.
Why does tennis count 15, 30, 40?
This is uncertain too. The earliest reference is a 1435 ballad by Charles d'Orléans that mentions "quarante cinq", 45, a count later shortened to 40. The popular clock-face explanation is doubtful, because minute hands were not common on clocks until about 1690.
So a game runs love, 15, 30, 40, game. How sets are settled at 6-6 in Paris is covered in the tiebreak rules guide.
People also ask
What is 6-6 called in tennis?
Six games all. At 6-6 a set is decided by a tie-break game, first to 7 points with a two-point margin; in French it is the jeu décisif. At Roland-Garros a final set at 6-6 has been settled by a 10-point tie-break since 2022.
Why don't the French say deuce in tennis?
French has its own word for 40-40: égalité, which means equality. The next point gives avantage. Deuce is the English term, even though it comes from the old French word for two.
Is a tiebreak to 7 or 10?
Both exist. A normal tie-break goes to 7 points, two clear. At the four Grand Slams, Roland-Garros included, a final set that reaches 6-6 is settled by a tie-break to 10, two clear, a rule in place since 2022.