Proofset AcademyModule 1 · Professional tennisLesson 1.5Free · 30 min

The rules

Points, games, sets, tie-breaks: tennis scoring works in levels. A player can win fewer points than their opponent and still win the match. Understanding the scoring means understanding why a match can turn on just a few points.

Part 1

Four levels

The point

The server has two attempts. A point is won when the opponent fails to return the ball into the court.

The game

0, 15, 30, 40, game. At 40-40 (deuce), a two-point lead is needed: advantage, then game.

The set

The first to 6 games with a two-game lead. At 6-6, a tie-break is played.

The match

Best of three sets almost everywhere; best of five sets for men at Grand Slams.

The serve changes every game. Winning a game on the opponent’s serve is called “breaking serve”. Because the server wins most of their games (about 7 times out of 10 in the Proofset database), a single break is often enough to win a set.

Part 2 · Your turn

The scoreboard

Award the points yourself, or run a simulated match. The scoreboard applies the real rules: deuce and advantage, a tie-break at 6-6 and, at Grand Slams, a 10-point tie-break in the deciding set.

PlayerSet 1Set 2Set 3Set 4Set 5Points

The simulation gives each server a 64 % chance of winning the point: a rough figure for professional tennis, not a Proofset measurement.

Part 3 · Animation

The tie-break, step by step

In a tie-break, points are counted 1, 2, 3… The player whose turn it was to serve serves the first point. After that, each player serves two points in a row. The players change ends every 6 points. Click “Next point” to see who serves, and from which side.

A B NET

The serve keeps passing from one player to the other: neither has the advantage of serving for longer. The first to 7 points (or 10 in the deciding set of a Grand Slam) with a 2-point lead wins the set 7-6.

Part 4

The formats to know

Best of three sets

The format of almost all tournaments, men’s and women’s, including the women’s Grand Slam events.

Best of five sets

For men at Grand Slams. A match can last more than 4 hours.

7-point tie-break

At 6-6 in a set, the first to 7 points with a 2-point lead wins the set 7-6.

10-point tie-break

Since 2022, all four Grand Slams play the deciding set this way at 6-6: the first to 10 points with a 2-point lead.

Part 5 · Your turn

The format changes the chances

Choose the share of sets the favourite wins on average. The bars show their chances of winning the match in each format. The longer the match, the more a small edge turns into a big lead.

60 %of sets
A single set
Best of three sets
Best of five sets

A simple calculation, assuming each set is played independently. This is not a Proofset measurement: it is the logic of the format.

Part 6

The rules that surprise

The let

On serve, if the ball touches the net and then lands in the correct service box, the serve is replayed. During a rally, a ball that touches the net and goes over stays in play.

The double fault

Two missed serves in a row: the point goes to the opponent, with no rally.

The line is in

A ball that touches the line, even slightly, is in. On clay, the umpire can check the mark left by the ball.

The change of ends

After the 1st game, then every two games (3rd, 5th…). In a tie-break, every 6 points. That way, wind and sun affect both players.

The 25-second shot clock

Between two points, the server has 25 seconds. A clock shows the time on court. Too slow: a warning, then a fault.

Electronic line calling

On the ATP Tour, since 2025, faults have been called by cameras at every tournament. Wimbledon did the same in 2025.

Why this matters for a bet

  • The longer the match, the more time the better player has to prevail. With the same strength, a favourite has a better chance of winning over best of five sets than best of three (part 5).
  • A tie-break is played over few points: 7 or 10 points decide a whole set. A close match, with one or two tie-breaks, can swing either way.
  • Winning more points does not guarantee winning the match: a player can lose every one of their service games 40-30 and win all of their own 40-0. That is why Proofset also looks at total points (lesson 1.7).
Part 7

Test yourself

7 questions. You need 6 correct answers to pass the lesson.

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