Tennis
Fifteen, thirty, forty. Never lose count.
From the first point to match point, Matchito keeps the games, the sets and the ends.
Score a gameOne point, one tap.
Tap the color of the player who won the point. Games, sets and the tiebreak follow. Try it!
- 6 games for a set
- Tiebreak at 6 all
- 2 sets to win
- Pick tennis, and name the two players.
- After each point, tap the color of the player who won it. Deuce and advantage take care of themselves.
- The referee calls the server’s score first, the changeovers, and set points and match points.
The rules, in short.
What the International Tennis Federation’s rules say, and nothing more.
- 15, 30, 40
A game
Love, 15, 30, 40, game. At 40 all, it’s deuce: you have to win two points in a row to take the game.
ITF, Rules of Tennis, 2026 edition, Rule 5.a - 6
A set
The first to 6 games, with a two-game lead, wins the set. At 6 all, you play a tiebreak, or play on until someone leads by two games, as announced beforehand.
ITF, Rules of Tennis, 2026 edition, Rule 6 - 7
The tiebreak
You count 0, 1, 2, 3. The first to 7 points, with a two-point lead, wins the game and the set.
ITF, Rules of Tennis, 2026 edition, Rule 5.b - 2
The match
A match is won by the first to take 2 sets, or three sets.
ITF, Rules of Tennis, 2026 edition, Rule 7 - Ends
Changeovers
Players change ends after the first game, the third, and every odd game of the set. In a tiebreak, every six points.
ITF, Rules of Tennis, 2026 edition, Rule 10 - 10
The match tiebreak
An approved way to shorten a match: at one set all, a tiebreak to 10 points replaces the final set.
ITF, Rules of Tennis, 2026 edition, Appendix VI - Toss
Who serves
A toss before the warm-up. The winner chooses to serve or receive, and the opponent picks the end; or the other way round; or the winner lets the opponent choose. Then the serve changes every game: the receiver becomes the server. In doubles, the four players serve one game each, in turn.
ITF, Rules of Tennis, 2026 edition, Rules 9 and 14
Or stay on the court.
One press per point won, on your watch or the three buttons on your earbuds: ⏮ for pink, ⏭ for yellow. ⏯ undoes the last point. The score is called server first.
The questions people ask.
How do you keep score in tennis?
Love, 15, 30, 40, then game, calling the server’s score first. At 40 all, you say deuce.
ITF, Rules of Tennis, 2026 edition, Rule 5.aWhat happens at 40 all?
It’s deuce. The next point gives advantage; if the same player wins again, they take the game, otherwise it’s back to deuce. With the deciding point, approved by the ITF, a single point settles it.
ITF, Rules of Tennis, 2026 edition, Rule 5.a and Appendix VIHow does a tiebreak work?
The player whose turn it is serves the first point, the opponent the next two, then two points each. The first to 7 points, with a two-point lead, wins.
ITF, Rules of Tennis, 2026 edition, Rule 5.bWhen do you change ends?
After the odd games of each set: the first, the third, the fifth. In the tiebreak, every six points.
ITF, Rules of Tennis, 2026 edition, Rule 10How many serves do you get?
Two. If the first is a fault, you serve again right away from the same side. A serve that touches the net and lands in is a let.
ITF, Rules of Tennis, 2026 edition, Rules 20 and 22What is a double fault?
Two faults in a row on serve: you lose the point. A let on the second serve replays only that serve; it doesn’t cancel the first fault.
ITF, Rules of Tennis, 2026 edition, Rules 22, 23 and 24.aAre there shorter sets?
Yes, the ITF approves them: the first to 4 games, with a two-game lead, wins the set, and at 4 all you play a tiebreak. That tiebreak can be played to 5 points: at 4 all, a single point decides it.
ITF, Rules of Tennis, 2026 edition, Appendix VI, 1 and 2