What is the golden point in beach tennis?

The golden point is the single deciding point played at 40-40 (deuce). The receiver chooses which side of the service box the server must target. Whoever wins that one point wins the game. There is no traditional deuce/advantage cycle in beach tennis.

Full Explanation

Per ITF Beach Tennis Rules Rule 6, when a game score reaches 40-40 the game is decided by a single golden point rather than the traditional deuce/advantage system used in tennis. The receiver has the right to choose which service box the server must aim for: the deuce court (server's right) or the advantage court (server's left). The server must serve to the chosen side. Whoever wins that rally wins the game. This no-advantage rule speeds up play considerably and means every rally at deuce is decisive. The golden point rule applies in all games including the tie-break (where the score does not reach 40-40 in the traditional sense, as the tie-break uses a different scoring progression).

Ruleset: ITF  |  Rule Reference: ITF Beach Tennis Rules, Rule 6 (Scoring -- No-Advantage)