Tennis betting guide: Bet types, rules, grand slam information, odds, in-play and more
Tennis betting has expanded in recent years to cover anything and everything from the final at Wimbledon, to a Challenger Tour match in South America or a WTA 125K series encounter in France; a mixed-doubles game at the Australian Open or an exhibition in Africa.
As well as betting on individual matches, punters can delve into the sub-markets where they’ll find options like total aces or unforced errors, set and game betting, handicaps, and more. No longer does a heavy odds-on favourite – common in both men’s and women’s games – mean there is no opportunity to find value.
Customers also have the opportunity to make their own bets using tools like Request-A-Bet, where they might specify who is going to win a match – and how they’re going to win it. These markets are particularly popular around the four Grand Slams – the Australian Open; the French Open; Wimbledon; and the US Open.
When it comes to finding the right market for the right player, consult stats such as total aces or unforced errors and there’s often an angle to be found. Backing big-serving players to be involved in a tie-break or the best returners to force breaks of serve can be lucrative, while markets like Set Exacta – where a punter predicts the order in which sets will be won – lend themselves to long-terms trends. Find the slow starter who often comes through in five sets and you could be onto a winner.
Outright markets are also available across tours, and they’re updated as the rounds go on. These allow customers to bet each-way, meaning a payout is guaranteed if their selection makes the final, while markets such as ‘to win the quarter’ allow for further creativity. This has been a useful tool for those betting on the men’s game in particular, where the Big Three were so dominant for so long.
For example, while Novak Djokovic won the 2020 Australian Open, those who backed Dominic Thiem each-way – i.e. win and place - from the outset will have secured profits when he beat Rafael Nadal and Alex Zverev to reach the final. The same was true when Rafael Nadal beat Daniil Medvedev in the US Open final as the next generation of tennis stars gradually threaten to end the dominance of Nadal, Djokovic and Roger Federer.
And while Federer’s bid for further Grand Slam glory came unstuck against Djokovic in the semi-finals in Melbourne, customers who backed him to serve most aces will have won as he led the ace count 15-11. A first-set tie-break will also have been a popular selection and never before have tennis bettors had more options at their disposal both before and during matches.
Handicaps are popular in various markets – not just games, though that’s the best place to start. If Djokovic wins 7-6 7-6 7-6 against Nick Kyrgios, the game totals read 21-18. Therefore, a bet on Kyrgios +3.5 games would be a winner, as his total would now climb to 21.5. Similarly, if Federer wins 6-3 6-2 6-3 against Stefanos Tsitsipas, backers of Federer -8.5 on the game line would be paid out with revised totals reading 9.5-8 in his favour.
Handicaps are available in the aces count, too. Federer covered a 3.5-handicap despite losing that semi-final to Djokovic. As ever, the formula is simple: take the end result (15-11), subtract the handicap (11.5-11) and you have a winner. This can be performed the other way – i.e. adding the underdog’s handicap – but be sure never to both add and subtract.
In-play betting is a key part of the product now, particularly with so many matches taking place and many of them coming with live streaming. The latter, combined with in-depth stats which are offered by both WTA and ATP Tours, means punters have never been better equipped to make informed decisions which combine intuition and data.
If you watch a set and feel that the dominant player was unfortunate, perhaps a double-fault at the wrong time or an unlucky net cord, you now have the opportunity to back them to win at an increased price. Similarly, if an underdog takes the opening set but you feel there was nothing fortunate about it – perhaps the stats support that notion – you can back the player to go on and win the match, even in straight sets.
In the past, retirements in tennis were a potential stumbling block, the physical nature of the sport lending itself to players withdrawing during a match. Now, punters have the rules shaped in their favour. For instance, if you back a player who retires having lost the first set, your bet will be refunded; had you backed the other player in the same match, the one who advances, your bet would be a winner.
In other markets, such as set betting, settlement depends on the status of the bet. For instance if you’ve backed a player to win in straight sets, but they lose the first set, only for their opponent to retire at 1-1, your bet would be a loser. If the same player was 1-0 up when their opponent retired, the bet would be void as the outcome is still undetermined.
This is also true of totals markets. If you’ve backed over 21.5 games in a match – i.e. 22 or more – and the game is 6-4 4-6 6-3 when one player retires, your bet will be paid as a winner. Had the retirement occurred at, say, 6-1 6-1 5-0 – i.e. 19 games with the potential to end at 20 – the bet would be void.
It’s also worth noting that tennis betting comes with the ability to make long-term predictions and be rewarded if they are correct. Think you know who wins next year’s US Open? You can bet on it. Fancy a player to improve their ranking? You might well be able to bet on where they end the season.
With markets available throughout the year, around the world and covering all major tours, tennis is among the constants of sports betting. There really is no break in the calendar and those who follow the sport closely have the opportunity to put their knowledge to use across myriad markets, around the clock.