Why Is Zero Called "Love" in Table Tennis?

If you’ve watched or played table tennis, you may have heard someone call the score “five-love” instead of “five-zero.” It sounds a little strange at first. What does love have to do with a missed point?

The short answer: table tennis borrowed the term from tennis. In racket sports, “love” means zero. So when a player has no points, their score can be called “love.”

Where Did “Love” Come From?

The exact origin is not completely settled, but the most common explanation comes from French.

In French, the word l’oeuf means “the egg.” An egg is shaped like a zero, so some people believe English speakers turned l’oeuf into “love” over time. It is a neat theory, even if historians do not all agree that it is definitely true.

Another explanation is that a player with zero points is playing “for love,” meaning they are still playing for the enjoyment of the game rather than for points or victory.

Whichever origin is correct, the meaning today is simple: love means zero.

How “Love” Is Used in Table Tennis

In table tennis, scores are usually called with the server’s score first.

So if the server has 3 points and the receiver has 0, the score may be called:

“three-love”

If the server has 0 and the receiver has 3, it would be:

“love-three”

You may also hear players say “zero” instead, especially in casual games. Both are easy to understand, but “love” is the more traditional racket-sports term.

Is “Love” Required?

No. You do not have to say “love” when calling a table tennis score.

In many casual games, players simply say “zero.” In clubs and competitions, “love” is common, but what matters most is that both players understand the score clearly.

For beginners, it is helpful to know both versions:

• 4-0 can be called “four-love”
• 0-4 can be called “love-four”
• 10-0 can be called “ten-love”

Why Beginners Should Know It

Learning the word “love” helps you feel more comfortable around table tennis players, clubs, tournaments, and coaching sessions. It is one of those small bits of sports language that makes the game feel less mysterious.

You do not need to use it every time. But when someone says “seven-love,” you will know they are talking about the score, not romance.

Quick Recap

In table tennis, love means zero. The term likely came from tennis, and it may have roots in the French word l’oeuf, meaning “egg,” because an egg looks like a zero. Another theory says it comes from playing “for love” of the game.

Either way, the next time you hear “five-love,” you’ll know exactly what it means: five to zero.