match point

noun

: a situation (as in tennis) in which one player or side will win the match by winning the next point
also : the point itself

Examples of match point in a Sentence

He won with an ace on his second match point. He won with an ace on match point.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Two weeks later, at the Davis Cup, Sinner saved three match points in their singles match and then helped beat Djokovic in the doubles. Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 7 July 2025 But despite looking both physically and mentally exhausted after match point, Djokovic still had the energy to perform a new celebratory dance with his children who were watching on from the stands. Ben Church, CNN Money, 7 July 2025 Draper gestured for volume at 4-4 in the breaker and found an astonishing backhand ripper to set up match point. Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025 Alcaraz facing triple match point in the fourth set, and somehow surviving that, in what felt like the blink of an eye, something no man had ever done in a Grand Slam final. Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 14 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for match point

Word History

First Known Use

1921, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of match point was in 1921

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Match point.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/match%20point. Accessed 20 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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