Tennis betting
Tennis is a two-way market with no draw, which makes it look simple. What makes it interesting is the scoring system: a player can win more points than their opponent and still lose the match, so game and set markets often behave quite differently from the match winner.
Competitions worth knowing
- The four Grand Slams: Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open.
- ATP and WTA tour events through the calendar, across hard, clay and grass.
- ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 events.
- Season-ending finals and team competitions such as the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup.
Surface is a form line
Surface changes tennis more than conditions change most sports. A player’s clay-court record can bear little relation to their grass-court record, and the tour moves between surfaces several times a season. Recent form on the surface being played is usually more informative than overall ranking.
The core markets
- Match winner — two-way, no draw.
- Set betting — the exact set score, such as 2-0 or 2-1.
- Total games, over or under a line, which is sensitive to whether either player holds serve comfortably.
- Games handicap — the favourite gives away a number of games.
- Correct score in a set, and tie-break markets.
- Outright tournament winner.
Retirements and walkovers
Tennis has an unusually high rate of mid-match retirements, and settlement rules for them vary by market and by operator — some void, some settle on a completed-set basis. This is worth reading before you stake, because it is the most common source of surprise in tennis betting.
Odds move with team news, form and where the money goes, so check the live market before you stake. 18+ only.