Tennis Betting Guide
Tennis is a hugely popular sport on which to bet, with the women’s game being held in equal regard as the men’s, meaning twice as much tennis to bet on! With a long season and regular tournaments, as well as doubles and mixed doubles, there is loads of tennis to place your wagers on. Moreover, because the game has a broad global appeal the bookmakers listed in the table below offer excellent coverage of it, with great offers and competitive odds, as well as an excellent range of markets.
Popular Tennis Betting Markets
Betting on tennis is straightforward and below we have listed some of the most popular bets. All of these are quite simple ones to understand and so are ideal for beginners to tennis betting – you just need to decide who’s going to win!
- Tournament Outright – This bet couldn’t be easier – just pick which player you think will win any given tournament. Tennis runs to form more often than many sports meaning this can be quite easy to pick – Rafa Nadal to win the French Open anyone?
- Match Odds – Similar to the above but just pick which player you think will win any given match. With just two possible outcomes (there is no draw or tie) this is really simple to understand and, hopefully, to pick the winner!
- Set Betting – This is a good market to pick if you want a bet at longer odds or if the odds on the favourite to win are very short. Here you are picking who will win and by what score in sets, so you might back Andy Murray to beat Novak Djokovic 3-0, for instance.
Major Tournaments
- Wimbledon – Undoubtedly the biggest event in tennis, Wimbledon is one of the few grass court tournaments on the calendar and is held in June and July. It was first contested in 1877 and past greats include Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras and John McEnroe, whilst Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graff and Serena Williams are multiple winners of the women’s event.
- Australian Open – The first of the year’s four Grand Slams is held in Melbourne in January. First held on grass in 1905 it is now played on a hardcourt surface. Novak Djokovic has dominated in recent years for the men whilst Victoria Azarenka and Serena Williams have been at the head of the women’s game.
- French Open – The only Grand Slam played on clay is held in Paris in late May and early June and is regarded as the most physically demanding event on the tour. The French Open, especially in the men’s game, is dominated by clay court specialists, most notably Rafa Nadal.
- US Open – The final Grand Slam of the season is held each year in New York. Andy Murray won his first Grand Slam here in 2012. The tournament has been held on grass (from 1881-1974), clay (1975-1977) and is now held on a hardcourt surface.