Tennis is among the top betting categories on the best UK betting sites, and for a good reason. The prestigious history combined with the adrenaline-boosting nature of tennis makes the sport perfect for betting. Plus, players are out on the courts all year round, offering an almost endless supply of betting opportunities.
To jump on the bandwagon and start wagering on tennis, punters should first go through our in-depth tennis betting guide. Our expert review covers all the aspects needed to bet on Djokovic, Nadal, Serena Williams, or any other player on tour. Best of all, strategies and tips will help you maximise returns when betting on singles or doubles.
Before we move on to the intricacies of tennis betting, we should first revisit the basics. Therefore, it’s best to start our tennis betting guide by explaining the fundamentals, including the scoring system.
After all, tennis comes with a set of rules that can overwhelm novice punters. A tennis match comprises sets, games, tie-breaks, and dozens of other elements that can confuse at first. Likewise, new betting sites provide creative markets to entice and attract punters worldwide. So, let’s see how tennis betting looks in action.
As we said, tennis acts as a two-way market, eliminating the tie option. Since there is no draw, the wagering process is as straightforward as a yes/no question. Will Federer win the match? Will Osaka have more aces than her opponent?
Sounds simple? That’s because it is, and straight bets on tennis are perfect for new punters. Yet, this is only the tip of the iceberg of what betting on tennis has to offer.
More elaborate tennis betting systems can provide many betting possibilities with lucrative returns. Handicap betting on tennis extends the options and improves winning chances. You can also bet on singles or doubles, or even national teams.
Speaking of competitions, we should also say that the primary tennis events are the four Grand Slam tournaments. The season opens with the Australian Open that starts mid-January on hard courts in Melbourne. After that, the tour moves to Paris in late May for playing at the French Open on clay courts.
Then comes the most prestigious tournament — the famous Wimbledon taking place in late June on grass courts. In late August, the US Open in New York on hard courts closes the Grand Slam season.
Of course, our tennis betting guide encompasses all competitions, and we should also mention Davis and Fed Cups. Likewise, the ATP and WTA organise various tournament levels, such as the Masters 1000 series or the Challengers.
Indoors or outdoors, tennis matches can provide lots of entertainment, regardless of the event category. So, you can bet on individual winners or choose another, more specific market. For instance, punters can predict which player will have more aces or win the next set. In any case, a deep understanding of the tennis scoring system is a must-have. Here’s why.
Unlike most other sports, tennis relies on an elaborate system for determining the winner of a match.
Opponents open a game with both being at zero or ‘love’. If a player scores a point, they move to 15, then 30, and eventually 40. In that case, they only need to score one more point to win a game. However, the scoring system in tennis gets a bit complicated in situations when opponents get to 40:40. This particular score is known as the ‘deuce’, coming from French ‘deux du jeu’. In translation, a player needs two more points to win a game.
Typically, you would need six points to win a set in tennis, but a two-point margin is also necessary. Results like 6:4 or 6:1 are frequent examples. A 7:5 score is also possible, but things get tricky if both players are at 6. If that happens, the players enter a tie-break — a mini-session with specific rules and serving patterns.
You might ask why tennis scoring is so weird, and the answer probably lies buried somewhere in history books. After all, the origins of the sport go back to the 12th century. By the 14th or 15th century, France and England had dozens of tennis courts. So, the terminology and tennis playing rules date back to the middle ages, making them strange to the modern ear.
Nevertheless, you can still master the game and bet successfully on tennis. Here are the steps to take if your goal is to win big.
We already mentioned that a primary type of bet in tennis is the classic ‘to win’ option. As a starting point for most punters, this wagering option offers simplicity and effortless bet placement. Also known as moneyline bets, these wagers typically come with low odds if you bet on high-profile tournaments. For instance, the odds on Djokovic vs almost any player will have a relatively low value.
Another category of bets we should mention in our tennis betting guide is the so-called outright wager or futures bet. By opting for these markets, you’ll try to predict the winner of an entire event, i.e., a tennis tournament. Of course, this task is more challenging than choosing a winner of an individual match. Hence, you can expect higher returns with these options than with straight win bets.
Each way bets are also on the menu, and they can be a valuable addition to any tennis betting system. As their name suggests, these markets cover two possibilities. In other words, you will win a bet if your selection finishes first or second in a competition. For tennis tournaments, this situation translates to entering the finals. So, even if Nadal goes out of fuel and loses to Federer, you’ll still get a return, albeit a smaller one.
The over/under market is another category that attracts many tennis betting enthusiasts. Once you learn how to read tennis scores, you can move on to these advanced betting options. The idea is to predict the number of gaming elements in a match. In most cases, the reference point for sets is 2.5, and for games, it typically stands at 22.5. So, you can bet whether the match will finish quickly or it will take more time than usual. Over/under markets can also include the number of aces.
Tennis handicap betting is also an attractive wagering method. With handicapping, a player might have games allocated or deducted. As such, they will have a virtual advantage/disadvantage even before the first serve. Handicap betting helps with levelling the playing field and improves the odds offered on the favourite.
On top of that, we should also mention live betting on tennis as one of the most exciting betting methods on UK betting sites. This fast-paced system allows punters to bet while the action is ongoing, game by game. Yet, it’s essential to be quick and pull the trigger at the right time. For that reason, live betting on tennis requires a fast and reliable streaming service.
Admittedly, tennis doubles tournaments are far less famous than single-player events. Nevertheless, doubles can provide lots of excitement, but they can also be the perfect ground for a specialist punter. In other words, punters looking for less crowded markets should focus on tennis doubles.
The dynamics of tennis doubles betting is similar to singles, but subtle differences separate these two aspects of the game. The standard tennis betting rules apply, but punters should monitor the numbers of sets and aces in tennis doubles.
Most tennis double matches end in three sets. Therefore, punters should analyse over/under markets and check the numbers of sets per match. Likewise, UK bookmakers typically predict the favourites efficiently, so follow the odds if you want to back a winner outright.
Like in most other sports, the key to successful betting on tennis is to find value bets. Savvy punters know how to separate unfavourable betting options from potentially rewarding ones. Then again, no one’s saying this is a simple task, and it takes a lot of effort to become a master at betting on tennis.
Likewise, every tennis betting guide will tell you that several factors can influence a tennis player’s performance. Thus, it is crucial to consider the following elements before placing your wagers — fitness/injuries, motivation, past performances, a playing surface, and weather.
If you perform an in-depth analysis of these aspects, you’ll be on your way to collecting massive returns. Best of all, new betting sites in the UK offer an endless amount of data and tennis-related statistics to help you improve your betting game.
Six Quick Facts About Tennis Betting
How To Bet on Tennis
Tennis Scoring System Explained
Tennis Betting Strategy and Types of Bets
Tennis Doubles Strategy
Conclusion — How To Bet on Tennis and Win
Six Quick Facts About Tennis Betting
How To Bet on Tennis
Tennis Scoring System Explained
Tennis Betting Strategy and Types of Bets
Tennis Doubles Strategy
Conclusion — How To Bet on Tennis and Win
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