How to Bet on Tennis

Betting on tennis is an extremely popular pastime, and most online sportsbooks now offer hundreds of lines for every competition. With matches taking place year-round, tennis odds are always widely available, and savvy bettors are able to regularly find value at a variety of levels. 

There are a number of ways in which to assess a tennis match, and we take a closer look at how to produce profitable picks on a regular basis, as well as some of the basics to know before betting on tennis. 

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How do Tennis Odds Work?

If you are a person who would like to start betting on tennis, understanding the odds is extremely important. Make sure you are putting yourself in the best position to win, so here is an explanation of what the different types of odds mean in a head-to-head battle.

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Odds are subject to change. Last updated March 19, 2024 10:42 am.

Tennis Odds: Moneyline

This is the system that is commonly used in the United States. A moneyline is set for each player. You may find that Serena Williams is set at -110 while Naomi Osaka receives odds of +140.

If this is the case, a person would have to wager $110 on Williams to win $100. Because her odds appear as a “-” means you actually have to bet more than what you profit. In the case of Osaka, if you wagered $100 you would receive $140 if she wins.

It is not complicated to figure this out and understanding the odds will help you to make smarter bets, to help improve your winnings.

Tennis Odds: European Format

In much of Europe, the decimal format is used. This is also a very popular format in the southern hemisphere, including the African and South American continents, Australia and New Zealand.

Betting using the decimal format is actually a little easier than you may have thought. Each player is given decimal odds of them winning. Let’s say that Serena Williams is taking on Naomi Osaka. Williams is the favorite at 1.80, with the odds set for Osaka at 2.25. These decimal values are used based on the probability of who will win the contest.

Odds Example:

So, for example, if Williams has odds set at 1.80, you would take 1/1.80 to determine her probability of winning, which in this case would be a 55.5% chance that she is going to win. That would mean that the likelihood that Osaka would win would be 44.5%, which would put her odds at 2.25.

The use of decimal odds makes it easy to determine how much money you will earn. For example, if Williams wins the contest, you would receive 1.8 times what you wagered for her to win. So, if you bet $100, you would receive $180 (100 x 1.80 = 180). Pretty simple for sure.

Tennis Odds: Fractional Format

Now let’s look at the last way that odds could be determined. With fractional betting, you are given a set of numbers based upon the reward versus the risk you have to take. That sounds a little complicated, but it really isn’t. Let’s use our example from above.

Odds Example:

If Williams is given odds of 9/5, this sets the risk at five and the reward at nine. So, for example, if that same player bet $100 and Williams won, he or she would still wind up with $180. The way it works is simple. For every five pounds that a person bets, they receive nine dollars if they are right. In this case, the person wagered $100, so you would take 100 x 9 and divide that by 5, and you have your winnings, $180.

In the case of Osaka, her odds would be set at 9/4 in such a match. This would mean that for every four pounds that a person wagered, they would win nine if Osaka won. If a person wagered $100, you would take 100 x 9 and divide that by 4 to get $225.

Grand Slam Tournaments

There are four Grand Slam events on the ATP and WTA calendar, and these are scheduled throughout the season. The Australian Open takes place in mid-January and is competed on the hard courts in Melbourne. The French Open is the second Grand Slam of the season and takes place at the end of May. It is the only one of the four majors to be held on clay courts. 

This is closely followed by Wimbledon with the grass-court action taking center stage in London. Finally, the US Open gets underway at the end of September and takes place at Flushing Meadows in New York. 

These events attract extremely high-quality fields, and sportsbooks always offer additional lines on the four Grand Slams. The men play five-set matches at each of these tournaments, and that enables the opportunity for more twists and turns. This is ideal for in-play betting enthusiasts. 

Grand Slam tournaments always attract a high-quality field, and five-set matches can negatively impact those players who are forced to endure a quick turnaround at these events. 

Australian Open Odds

The Australian Open is the first of four Grand Slams on the tennis calendar and typically takes place in mid-January. It began in 1905 and has become the largest annual sporting event to take place in the Southern Hemisphere.

It is held over a two-week period and is competed on hard courts. Since 1988, it has been held at Melbourne Park. Although it’s now equipped with a retractable roof, the searing heat remains an issue for players who compete at the Australian Open.

Prior to 1988, the tournament was held on grass courts. Perth was one of the many locations that the Australian Open was held at prior to its move to Melbourne.

Tips for Betting on Australian Open
The Australian Open is the first Grand Slam of the season and can often catch bettors by surprise. Although the men’s draw usually goes to form, there are always one or two surprises, and some bigger prices in the Australian Open odds can often go deep into this tournament.

Players who aren’t fit enough are often caught out in Melbourne, so it’s always advised to look for players who have played warm-up events.

Pliskova is an example of a player who often competes at Brisbane and Hobart, and this often helps her prepare for this energy-sapping event.

It is important to consider the conditions. Heat can pose a significant problem for players who aren’t used to the conditions, and therefore, it’s advised to look for players who train in the Southern Hemisphere or are acclimated to the heat.

The hard courts in Melbourne often play slower than Flushing Meadows, so clay courters can often fare better at this event. Players can sometimes be caught out by the unexpected lack of pace, and that is something to consider.

Tips for Australian Open Betting

The 2022 Australian Open took place without the reigning Men’s Champion, Novak Djokovic, because of circumstances off the court. The final ended up taking place between Rafael Nadal and Daniil Medvedev. At the beginning of the tournament, Medvedev was one of the favorites to win it all, at +375 to start the tournament and eventually -200 going into the final against Nadal.

Whereas Nadal entered the Australian Open at +700 and got to even +1100 at one point, before winning the final in 5 sets.

Ashleigh Barty on the other hand, started the Australian Open as the favorite at +550, before eventually going on to win the tournament.

French Open Odds

The French Open is the second Grand Slam of the season and is held at Stade Roland-Garros in Paris. It takes place over a two-week period in late May and is the only major to be held on clay courts.

It began in 1891 and has been held at three different venues throughout the tournament’s history. It began life in Auteuil although it’s been held at the current venue since 1928. It is considered to be the most physically demanding of the four Grand Slams due to the lack of speed on the clay courts.

Renovations have recently begun at Stade Roland-Garros, and the 2020 event is expected to be the first staging of the tournament that will be played with a roof on the central court. This should help avoid any unnecessary delays to matches.

The French Open is a unique tournament, and the betting odds often reflect that. Some players excel on this surface and are always worth backing.

Nadal is always likely to begin as the favorite in the French Open odds, and his fellow Spaniards are also likely to fare well on these courts.

Players such as Thiem tend to underwhelm throughout the majority of the year before suddenly picking up in time for this event. South American players are also worth keeping an eye on, while grass-court specialists are usually best avoided in Paris.

The courts are slow and five-set matches can take their toll on players, so anyone with stamina will tend to be effective at this Grand Slam. It is also worth keeping an eye on the order of play as players who have a quick turnaround can often struggle at the French Open.

In the women’s draw, top seeds rarely progress to the last four and are always worth opposing here.

Tips for French Open Betting

As a surprise to no one, Rafael Nadal was the favorite at +120, closely followed by Novak Djokovic +225 and Carlos Alcaraz +275 (lines from BetMGM).

On the women’s side, the reigning Australian Open champion Ashleigh Barty was the favorite +300, but now it’s Iga Swiatek +250. A couple of big name underdogs: Naomi Osaka +1200 and Serena Williams +2000.

Nadal and Swiatek ended up winning, so in 2022 the favorites are coming through so far.

Wimbledon Odds

Wimbledon is the third Grand Slam on the tennis calendar and takes place in the leafy suburbs of West London. It is the only one of the four majors that is held on grass courts. It is also the oldest tennis tournament in the world and is viewed by many as the most prestigious.

It is competed over a two-week period, traditionally from late June to early July, and tournament officials enforce a strict all-white dress code which must be adhered to by the players.

The final is played on center court, and since the addition of a retractable roof in 2009, play has been able to take place regardless of weather conditions.

The early odds for Wimbledon had Djokovic as the heavy favorite at +137, with the next closest being Daniil Medvedev +250 and then Rafael Nadal at +800. Djokovic won in 4 sets against Nick Kyrgios.

On the women’s side, Elena Rybakina defeated Ons Jabeur in 3 sets.

Tips for Betting on Wimbledon

Wimbledon is one of the toughest Grand Slams to predict, and this is often caused by the fact that the grass-court season is incredibly short.

Although favorites do tend to dominate at this event, it is always advised to look for players who excel on the fast courts.

Players from Spain, Portugal, and South American countries often tend to struggle at Wimbledon, as they were often coached on clay courts. European players, particularly those from the Balkans, tend to enjoy playing at this event.

Rain can often cause long delays at Wimbledon, so it’s also advised to invest in players who have a strong mental fortitude and can cope with quick turnarounds and unexpected hold-ups to their matches.

Some players simply excel at this tournament despite showing very few signs of life elsewhere. Sabine Lisicki is an example of a player who enjoys coming to London and playing here, yet she tends to struggle throughout the remainder of the grass-court season.

US Open Odds

The US Open is the final Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year and is staged at Flushing Meadows in New York. The inaugural tournament took place in 1881, and the tournament has been played on the hard courts since 1978.

It had previously been competed on both clay and grass courts. The tournament typically lasts for two weeks, with the middle weekend of the event coinciding with Labor Day at the beginning of September. 

Djokovic is the favorite at +160 on the men’s side and Swiatek at +200 for the women’s tournament. Novak is followed by Medvedev at +240, Alcaraz at +350 and Nadal at +550 (odds brought to you by BetMGM). Osaka is someone to keep an eye on at +500.

Tips for Betting on the US Open

The US Open is the final Grand Slam of the season, and many players are starting to suffer from nagging injuries and fatigue by this stage of the campaign. As a result, the tournament can often throw up unexpected winners, and this is reflected in the US Open betting markets.

It is the most unpredictable Grand Slam of the year, with Marin Cilic’s only major success arriving in this event. Juan Martin Del Potro also achieved his only Grand Slam triumph here back in 2009, while the inconsistent Stan Wawrinka has also lifted the trophy at Flushing Meadows.

Although the last three stagings of the event have been won by either Nadal or Djokovic, it often pays to back a bigger-price player in the US Open betting to reach the final.

There have also been five different winners of the tournament since Williams was last successful here back in 2014. Flavia Panetta’s only Grand Slam win arrived here in 2015, shortly before she retired from the professional game. Sloane Stephens also clinched her first and only Grand Slam success at this venue, while both Bianca Andreescu and Osaka went into the event as outsiders in the US Open odds.

Don’t be put off by sizeable odds in the ante-post market – the US Open regularly throws up a number of surprises!

It is also worth noting that big servers tend to fare well at this particular tournament, while the hard-court surface tends to also favor players who can hit the ball in a flat manner.

The courts play faster than the Australian Open, and it may also be worth studying the court schedule. Late-night matches are played in cooler conditions, and this may just favor players who aren’t used to competing in the heat.

ATP / WTA Events 

Outside of the four Grand Slam events, players on the ATP and WTA tours play competitive tennis on a regular basis. Events take place around the world on a variety of different surfaces, and each player will win points based on their performances in these competitions. 

Online sportsbooks provide tennis odds for each of these tournaments, and they are extremely popular with bettors. Events are classified according to their quality with ATP 1000 events such as Indian Wells and the Monte-Carlo Masters always extremely popular with parlay and props bettors. 

These events will get additional coverage from the sportsbooks and tend to attract a high percentage of top-10 competitors. 

If you would like to help to calculate what you could win based on the odds, check out our betting odds calculator!

Types of Tennis Bets

Similar to many other competitive sports, the most popular way of playing is by backing a specific player on the moneyline market. The majority of parlay bets will also contain moneyline selections; however, some of these tennis odds can be incredibly restrictive, and other wagering types are available for those who don’t fancy backing the likes of Roger Federer at -700.

  • Moneyline
  • Game Spread
  • Set Spread
  • Over/Under
  • Futures
  • Props 

Moneyline:

This is simply a case of backing a player to win the match. Your chosen player must complete the contest and go through to the next round of the competition. 

Game Spread:

With many matches appearing to be one-sided contests, the point spread will help even the playing field. These tennis odds will give the underdog a fighting chance, while it will also offer the favorite a handicap to overcome. This is the ideal market when a top 10 player is drawn against a wildcard competitor. 

For example, your picks include a wager on the underdog at +5.5 on the game spread. Your chosen player must stay within five games of his/her opponent to cash in. 

If they are defeated 6-4, 6-4, this would be classed as a winning wager as the loser has managed to amass eight games. If you add the +5.5 to this amount, it produces 13.5 (which is higher than 12). 

Another example: Your picks include a wager on a well-fancied favorite. They are -3.5 games on the spread. If they win 6-4, 6-2, this would be a winning selection. They are victorious by six games, and this more than adequate to cover for the -3.5 spread. 

Set Spread:

The set spread is often more popular at Grand Slam events, particularly in five-set contests. Once again, the underdog is given a chance on the spread market (usually +1.5 sets), while the favorite is given a handicap to overcome (usually -1.5 sets). 

If you’re backing a player to win -2.5 sets on the set spread, they must win 3-0 for this to pay out. 

Over/Under:

This type of bet is ideal for parlay backers and allows tennis bettors to make a prediction without having to pick a winner. 

Bettors will be able to wager on the total number of games played in a match. Ideal contests for this market are matches in which the two players are either extremely closely matched or both in good form. 

The majority of ATP and WTA tour matches will have the over/under market set at between 19.5 and 22.5, with this total rising for five-set contests at Grand Slams. 

The online sportsbook will set their tennis odds according to the head-to-head record between these players and the recent form of each competitor. 

For example, if you back a match to finish with over 21.5 games, it must contain at least 22 games. Winning results would include 7-6, 7-6, and 7-5, 6-4. Losing results include 6-4, 6-4, and 6-2, 7-6. 

Futures:

These lines are always very popular ahead of Grand Slam events, and most reputable online sportsbooks will have plenty of pre-tournament betting lines available each year. 

These are likely to include “Player A to Win their Quarter” or “Player B to Reach the Semi-Finals.” 

These betting lines are sometimes available for other WTA and ATP tournaments, although the majority of bettors will tend to stick to the four major events on the tennis calendar. 

Props:

There are a number of lines available for each match, and these afford the opportunity for tennis bettors to be a little more specific with their picks. Examples include Tiebreak in the Match, Total Games Won by Player A, and Second Set Correct Score. 

Live Tennis Betting

One of the most popular ways of wagering is by utilizing live tennis odds. Most online sportsbooks will now provide live in-play tennis markets, which tend to be available throughout the majority of the match. The live betting section of the website tends to be clearly signposted at the top of the home page. 

Every single point could help potentially change the direction of the match, and the fluctuating live tennis odds will reflect this. Just one break of serve can significantly change the prices of each player, and this can be extremely profitable for those who are able to anticipate these sudden match swings. Live tennis odds can change incredibly quickly in fast-paced contests. 

You can still wager on the over/under market and various other lines once the match has begun, although bets tend to take a couple of additional seconds to process due to the ever-changing nature of a live sporting event. 

Waiting For A Favorite

Many savvy tennis bettors wait until a favorite is in a losing position before getting involved. This usually produces more favorable lines than the pre-match markets. 

Most online sportsbooks will also offer some sort of cash-out service that will allow you to take a portion of your winnings even if your parlay selections have yet to conclude. You can check on the progress of your matches by using the live in-play section of the website at any point. 

Live in-play wagering on tennis is an extremely exciting way to follow all of the action, although, with the constantly changing lines, it may take some getting used to. It’s strongly advised to practice by watching a tennis match using the live in-play section of the site prior to making any picks. 

Tennis Betting Tips

Tennis betting odds can be extremely volatile, especially matches that have already got underway. Therefore, it’s vitally important to adhere to a number of rules. 

Specialize:

It’s important to focus on a specific area when it comes to wagering on tennis. On busy days, there can be 100-plus matches taking place, and this can make it incredibly tough to follow. If you’re able to narrow it down to a specific level, region or individual player, this will make it much easier to make your picks. 

Likewise, focus on specific markets. If your expertise lies in the over/under markets, then make sure you aren’t tempted to deviate and start browsing other lines. 

Don’t Wager for the Sake of It:

There will be some days (particularly November/December) where there are fewer matches taking place. This can often make it difficult to find value picks. If this is the case, it is advised to simply wait until something more tempting comes along. 

You don’t have to bet every single day, and you don’t have to wager simply because there are tennis matches taking place. 

Look for Players Coming Back from Injury:

Sometimes, a player can make their return following an injury layoff, and this can often result in the tennis betting odds being skewed towards the opposition player. Players will not come straight back into competitive action without practice, although it can be hard to get back up to speed immediately. 

When the likes of Stan Wawrinka and Kei Nishikori returned from a break, they were still clear favorites in the tennis betting odds. However, they weren’t match-fit and therefore struggled to remain competitive. 

Local Players Tend to Prevail at the Lower-Ranked Events:

In ITF events, local players will be invited to compete, and they tend to fare well at these types of events. Although the seeded players have far more quality overall, the weather conditions, the partisan crowd, and their local knowledge can come in extremely handy. It is important to ensure that you don’t overlook these types of players in your picks. 

Understanding Player Approaches:

Finally, it’s important to understand how each player approaches a match. Some competitors prefer to stick to the baseline and rely on their opponents to make unforced errors. Others will prefer to go for the jugular and attack their rival from the first serve. 

If you use the stats to establish the type of match which may unfold, then this will help improve your picks long-term. 

Tennis FAQs

Here are some of the tennis FAQs.

What is a Grand Slam?

There are four Grand Slams every year that all take place between January and August. The first is the Australian Open, then the French Open, then Wimbledon and finally the US Open.

What is the ATP Tour?

The ATP stands for Association of Tennis Professionals, and it is the governing body that overseas many of the tournaments throughout the year outside of the Grand Slams. The ATP is also responsible for ranking players and assigning them points based on finishes at tournaments and Grand Slams. With the latest update being Daniil Medvedev moving to #1 in the Men’s rankings.

How many sets are there in a typical tennis match?

Most tournaments are in a “best of 3” format. Meaning that the first player to win 2 out of the 3 sets, wins the match. Except for Grand Slams where the men play “best of 5” matches, where the first player to win 3 sets, wins the match.

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