In tennis, “Ad” is short for advantage and it only appears after the score reaches deuce (40–40 in a game).

Quick Scoop: What does “Ad” mean in tennis?

  • When both players reach 40–40, the score is called deuce.
  • The next point after deuce gives one player the advantage , shown as “Ad” on the scoreboard.
  • If the server wins that point, the score is “Ad-In” (server has advantage).
  • If the receiver wins that point, the score is “Ad-Out” (receiver has advantage).
  • The player with “Ad” must win one more point in a row to take the game; if they lose that point, the score goes back to deuce.

A quick example

  • Score is deuce (40–40).
  • Player A wins the next point → scoreboard shows “Ad” for Player A (they’re one point from winning the game).
  • If Player A wins the next point → Player A wins the game.
  • If Player A loses the next point → back to deuce, and this Ad/deuce cycle can repeat several times.

In short: “Ad” just marks that one player is temporarily ahead in a deuce game and is one point away from winning that game.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.