Why do we have this scoring system in tennis?

Question

Why do we have this scoring system in tennis?

Answer 1

Because back in the mists of time, they used to keep score with the hands of a clock. Hence, 15, 30 etc.

Strange, but true.

Answer 2

That's tricky. To my understanding the original scoring system was 15s. 15, 30, 45, and 60. But I guess at some point it was agreed that it was too long and was shortened to 15, 30, 40.

0 or love is said to be a variation of the French word for egg, l’oeuf. Which somehow representing zero or nothing and was Anglicized into love.

Keep in mind the sport is several hundred years old and to be honest, no one really knows for certain... even the historians haha.

Answer 3

The origins are not fully known, but one common explanation was that when the game was first being played back in medieval times, a clock face was used on court. The clock hand would move a quarter for each point. When the hand moved to sixty, the game was over. Therefore, the scoring would be love, 15, 30, 45, and 60 instead of the traditional 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4. Whoever scored 60 (4 points) first would win the game. However, instead of using “zero” the word “love” was used. Since, the word “love” comes from the French word l’oeuf, meaning egg which symbolizes nothing, it is assumed that “love” was used because it is represents zero. Another explanation for the use of the word “love” is because the egg looks like a zero. Eventually, the 45 was shortened to 40, and people quit saying 60 altogether. Interestingly, while the English mispronounced l’oeuf as love, the French eventually changed back to using zero, while the English kept “love”. The term “love” also implies that someone who plays and scores zero points must truly love the game.