How Many Games Are In a Set Of Tennis?

The tennis game has points, games, and sets. A player must win six games to win a set, and a game is won by the first player to win at least 4 points and be at least 2 points over the opponent’s score. To win a match, the player must win two or three sets, depending on the tournament in which they are participating.

Games are measured by a sequence of points, and they are:

Point scored	Call
0	“love”
1	15
2	30
3	40
4	game

If a tie 40-40 (deuce) occurs, the play continues until one player has a two-point lead ahead of the opposing play—the next player to win a point after a tie is said to have an advantage. If the opponent scores the next point, the result is again a tie. The game continues until one player wins two consecutive points.

To win a match, the player must win two sets in tournaments like Masters and Challenger and three sets in prestigious events like the Grand Slam. This variation adds an extra layer of challenge and excitement to the game.

If a set is a tie 6-6, players play a tiebreaker. The player first to serve will serve one point. After the first point, both players will serve two points consecutively until one player has won 7 points. The same rule is applied here, as in a deuce situation, where the margin between the scores must be two points. In a tiebreaker, players switch sides every six points, and the reason is fairness to both players when it comes to conditions that are out of anybody’s control, such as the course of wind and one side being sunnier than the other.

Technically, the battle for a set can go on indefinitely and can be exhausting, so the 10-point rule was introduced in 2022 for the fifth set that results in a tie. The final tiebreaker set is to be played to ten points with a 2-point lead to determine the winner.