What does love mean in tennis?
Love is used for zero points in a game (15–love, love–30) and for zero games in a set (6–love). A set won 6–0 is also called a bagel.
Where the word comes from is disputed. The popular story that it comes from the French l'oeuf, egg, for the shape of a zero is unproven, and other explanations exist. What is certain is how it's used.
In a match
The server wins the first point of the game: the umpire calls "15–love".
Questions
Why is zero called love in tennis?
Nobody knows for sure. The French l'oeuf (egg) theory is the best known, but it's unproven.
What does love game mean?
A game won without the opponent scoring a point: 15, 30, 40, game, with the other player on love throughout.
Sources
- ITF Rules of Tennis