To be frank, there is still no conclusive evidence as to why the tennis scoring system is scored 15-30-40. Even if there is no evidence, it doesn’t make us wonder why tennis has such a different point system.
There are many interesting views on the scoring system. We’ll tell you about three of the most popular ideas.
The history of tennis dates back to a hand game played in medieval France.
According to one view, the scoring system in the matches was determined based on the clock face, and it was designed as a game where those who reach 60 win the points. The scores, meaning 15-30-45, were pronounced as quinze, trente and quarante-cinq in French. The monosyllabic numbers of 15(quinze) and 30(trente) made it easy to say, but the number 45(quarante-cinq) was not. The “quarante-cinq” for the number 45 changed over time and the next suffix was removed and called “quarante”, meaning 40, due to the difficulty of pronunciation.
Another of the most accepted views is again based on the watch dial.
In this system, which is based on 1 full rotation of the clock dial in order for the parties to win the game, the winner increases to 15, 30, 45 and 60 points, respectively. However, even if the final score reached 60, this number was not mentioned, and the final score was considered a “game” because the game was won.
The use of 40 instead of 45 is based on the rule of scoring 2 points in a row, which is required to score in the case of a 45-45 tie.
In such an equality, the player who won 2 points in a row, reaching 75, was breaking the clock dial system. Therefore, 45 points were accepted as 40, and after that, the 2 points earned in a row were counted 10 by 10, and the player who reached 50 and 60 respectively, won the game. Today, again, 50 is not mentioned here, instead it is called “Advantage”.
Another opinion on this subject says that the scoring of 15-30-40 stems from the way tennis was played in the early periods.
During these periods, the player who gained points after the first serve would go 15 steps forward and serve from there. When the 2nd point was earned, he would go 15 more steps and reach the distance of 30 steps. When the 3rd point was won, he would go to the bottom of the net and continue the game from there, as there was a distance of 10 steps from the net. This is why it is thought that these steps in the past are reflected in today’s scoring system.
Which of the three different views on the tennis scoring system made more sense to you? We look forward to your views.
Sources: Wikipedia, Tennis Market
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