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Your questions answered – Where did tennis scoring system come from?published at 19:11 British Summer Time
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Ask Me Anything
BBC Sport’s Ask Me Anything team have been answering tennis-related questions.
Here’s one on the scoring system.
Tony asked: Where did the tennis scoring system come from?
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The current system originates from a game called ‘Real Tennis’, which dates back to the 13th or 14th century.
One theory is that the system is derived from units of time. Players may have kept score using a clock face split into quarters, so 15, 30, 45 and game. The 45 is thought to have been shortened to 40 over time.
Another theory links the scoring to a French coin from the 14th century, which had the value of 15. By scoring in fifteens, it’s said to have made it easier to gamble on the tennis matches.
But ultimately, no one knows for certain.
