How to Choose a Sportsbook for Betting on Tennis
Tennis is an excellent sport to bet on, as there are a massive number of matches available at most sportsbooks. It’s particularly popular among live bettors, as the lines and odds shift a lot throughout each match. Before joining in and placing bets, you first need to choose a sportsbook.
If you live in a state with online betting, there are many options to choose from. Knowing which to choose is tough, but there are several key factors you should look at. Here’s what we recommend checking before you sign up.
License and Security
When choosing a sportsbook, you need to make sure it’s licensed and legal in your state. This means it’s safe to use and ensures your money and personal details are protected when you join.
Reputation
Just like any company, high-quality sportsbooks have excellent reputations among their customers. You can learn more about a site’s reputation by reading reviews written by our expert review team.
Ease of Use
It should always be really easy to bet on tennis, with a simple interface and menus that let you find the latest matches quickly. The best sites let you sign up, view tennis betting odds, and place your bets within a few minutes.
Bonuses
When you bet on tennis online, make sure you’re claiming betting promos. All great sportsbooks will offer bonuses when you sign up. Before joining, check to see which promos are available and read the terms to see if they’re fair to use.
Odds
Better odds on your tennis bets mean more profits when you win. Before you bet, you should always compare the odds and confirm you’re getting the best deal. Discover where to find the best tennis odds in our sportsbook reviews.
Betting Markets
With more betting markets to choose from on tennis matches, you have a greater opportunity to find value. The best sites give you lots of betting options, including live betting markets.
Payments
Before you can place real money bets, you need to add funds to your account. The deposit process should be as straightforward as possible, and payouts should be simple and fast too.
Mobile Access
When we review tennis sportsbooks, we always check they’re compatible on mobile. Before signing up, test out how it feels on your device and how easy the app is to use if there’s one to download.
Customer Service
All of our top-rated sportsbooks make betting as simple as possible while also providing great customer service in case something goes wrong. It’s important to have a team available to answer any questions or provide support when needed.
Our Tennis Sportsbook Reviews
You can use the above criteria to easily register with an online sportsbook that offers you great odds, bonuses, and a quality betting experience. However, if you want things even simpler, you can check out our sportsbook reviews. Our expert team joins every legal and licensed sportsbook. We test them out, so you don’t have to. You’ll find all the details on what to expect in each review. Use them to quickly find a betting site you’ll love.
Tennis Betting Bonuses
One of our favorite parts of betting online is claiming the excellent sports betting bonuses. Each new site you join will have a welcome offer for you to enjoy, and they’re normally a great way to find extra value from your tennis bets. There are loads of different offers available, and it’s a good idea to know what each one means. Here are some of the most popular, according to our research:
- Risk-free bets – With risk-free bets, you’re free to place a bet and not worry about the result. If your bet wins, you keep all the profits. However, if it loses, you get your entire stake refunded as a free bet. For example, a $100 risk-free would refund your stake up to $100 if your first bet loses.
- Bet credits – These promos let you use your credits in place of real cash when placing a wager. Also known as free bets, they’re very easy to use. Simply choose your bet and then check the box in your bet slip to apply the bet credits rather than using the money in your account. If you win, you keep all the profits, but the bet credits are used whether the bet wins or loses.
- Matched deposit bonuses – Want to increase the funds you have available when you first join? This promo matches your initial deposit, meaning you get a bigger bonus the more funds you add. For example, a 100% matched deposit bonus worth up to $500 would mean you have $1000 to bet with when your first deposit is $500.
- No deposit bonuses – Perhaps the easiest promos to claim, no deposit bonuses are added to your account as soon as you register. You don’t even need to make a deposit before placing your first bet. In most cases, you will need to deposit before you can withdraw any winnings.
- Odds boosts – Get boosted odds on selected markets with these special promos. You can apply boosts directly from your bet slip, increasing your odds and your potential winnings. This means you’ll easily add more value to your tennis bets.
How to Claim Your Tennis Bonus
Getting your hands on a tennis betting promo is almost always straightforward. All of our recommended offers are really easy to claim. You just need to follow the instructions provided. Here’s a quick example of how to claim a tennis bonus:
- Sign up to one of the top sportsbooks on this page
- Make a deposit and use the promo code if needed
- Place your first bet to claim the bonus
Before you claim, be sure to read all of the terms and conditions too.
| Terms and Conditions | Example | Explanation |
| Rollover | 10x rollover on your matched deposit bonus. | Wager your bonus ten times before you can withdraw the funds and any winnings. |
| Promo code | BONUS10 | Use this code when making your deposit to claim the bonus |
| Minimum deposit | Deposit at least $20 to claim your deposit offer. | Only deposits of $20 or more will unlock this bonus. |
| Minimum bet | Make a bet of at least $20 to claim the free bets. | Your first bet must be $20 or more to unlock the offer. |
| Minimum odds | Bet at -200 or higher to claim your bonus. | Your first bet needs to be at odds of -200 or more to unlock the bonus. |
How Tennis Betting Works
Tennis is unique compared to a lot of other sports you can bet on. For one, it takes place all year long with no seasons. Players take part in as many events as they like, but there are thousands of tournaments happening around the world, with lots of different skill levels.
This means a huge volume of matches you can bet on, and you’ll almost always find tennis matches available each time you log into your sportsbook account. Betting on this sport is just as simple as betting on any other, but you should know how the sport works first.
How Tennis Works
Players are ranked on their ability and compete in one of the available tours. For men, there are three tours, with ATP being the pinnacle. For women, there are two, and the WTA is for the best players.
Tennis Rankings
Players enter a tournament on one of the tours and are seeded based on their ranking. Lower-ranking players may enter a qualifying draw for a chance to play. Seedings are determined by world ranking and their performances on the surface on which the tournament is played.
Tennis Courts
Another key feature that separates tennis from other sports is the surfaces on which it’s played. Major tournaments are either held on grass, clay, or acrylic courts. Each surface affects how the ball bounces and moves.
Tennis Scoring
The tennis scoring system is confusing to some, though it’s simple once you understand it. Matches are played to the best of three sets, meaning that a player will win if they win two more sets than their opponent. However, championship matches are played in a best-of-three-sets format.
Each set consists of at least six games, and players can only win the set with an advantage of two or more games. Meanwhile, players must win four points to win a game. The scoring lists points as 0 (love), 15, 30 and 40.
However, to make things more complicated, there’s also deuce. This happens when both players have scored 40 points. When it reaches deuce, one player will need to score two points in a row in order to win the game.
Understanding Tennis Betting Odds
If you want to have success when betting on tennis matches, you’re going to need to understand betting odds. When you look at an event at a sportsbook, you’ll see the odds for all the different betting markets.
Odds are a reflection of the likelihood of an event occurring. For example, a player that is expected to win has low odds, and they’re considered the favorite. On the other hand, a player with a low chance of winning has higher odds, which means more potential profit if you bet on them and they win.
Tennis odds are generally based on player rankings, but other factors may also influence how sportsbooks set the odds. For example, popular players will receive a higher percentage of bets from the public. The sportsbooks may adjust the odds as bets come in to ensure there’s even money on both sides.
Calculating Profit From Tennis Odds
When looking at the odds of a tennis match, you can work out how much profit you could potentially win. The odds are always a number with either a plus (+) or minus (-) sign in front. Odds with the plus sign are for underdogs, while the favorites have a minus sign.
For example, in an ATP match between Aleksander Kovacevic -170 and Kimmer Coppejans +135
In this match, Kovacevic is the favorite. The odds tell you that if you bet $170 on him and he wins, you’d make $100 profit.
Coppejans is a slight underdog. Based on his odds, you can see you’d win $135 profit if you bet $100 on him and he wins the match.
Tennis Betting Markets
You can bet on lots of different outcomes during each match. While betting on the match winner is the most popular, there are plenty of other options too. These are known as betting markets, and you can browse through them when you select a match.
Here are some of the most popular tennis betting markets:
| Market | Example | Explanation |
| Moneyline | Matteo Arnaldi -135 Aslan Karatsev +110 | This bet is simply a prediction of which player you think will win the match and go through to the next round. You can also bet on the moneyline for specific sets. |
| Total games per set | Over 6.5 games -2000 Under 6.5 games +650 | This is a bet on how many games you think there will be in a specific set |
| Game spread | Yi Zhou +5.5 -105 Cristian Garin -5.5 -130 | Evens the odds between two players by applying an imaginary game handicap to the favorite and gives the underdog the same points advantage. The player must overcome the handicap or avoid losing by these added points for your bet to win. |
| Total games | Over 21.5 -105 Under 21.5 -125 | Regardless of the outcome, predict whether you think the total number of games during the match will be over or under the specific number. |
| Total sets | Over 2.5 +475 Under 2.5 -1200 | A bet on how you think the fight will end. You can usually find this market combined with the fight winner too, so you can bet on a fighter to win by a specific finish. |
| Set betting | Matteo Arnaldi 2-0 +165 2-1 +350 Aslan Karatsev 2-0 +205 2-1 +380 | A bet on the set scores at the end of the match for either player. |
| Correct score | Luke Saville 6-0 +8000 6-1 +4500 6-2 +2800 6-3 +1600 6-4 +950 7-5 +2800 7-6 +900 | A bet on the correct score for a specific set. You can choose a score for either player in the match. |
| Player to win a set | Alex Bolt Yes -105 No -135 | A bet on whether or not you think a specific player will win a set during the match. |
| Player games won | Diego Schwartzman Over 12.5 -105 Under 12.5 -130 | A bet on the over/under total number of games won in a set for a specific player. |
| Futures | Ons Jabuer +340 Jelena Ostapenko +600 Maria Sakkari +650 | This allows you to bet on which player you think will win the tournament. Future bets can usually be placed at any point during the event. |
| Parlays | Carolina Garcia, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Jelena Ostapenko, and Taylor Townsend to all win their next match. +209 | A combination of bets that lets you add as many selections as you like. The more you add, the higher the odds. However, every selection needs to win for your parlay to payout. |
Placing Your First Tennis Bets
Once you understand tennis betting odds and the different markets available, you’re ready to start placing bets. Just follow these steps to start:
- Choose one of our recommended tennis sportsbooks and make sure it’s licensed in your state
- Register with the site, enter all your personal details, and upload your ID to verify
- Make your first deposit using your preferred payment method
- Claim your welcome bonus by following the instructions
- Search for tennis or a specific event or player
- Choose a match to bet on and select a market to add to your bet slip
- Enter your stake and confirm to place the bet
- Watch the match or check later to see if your bet is a winner
Live Tennis Betting
Betting isn’t just available before the match begins. All modern sportsbooks now feature live betting, which lets you view odds and place bets while a match is in progress. During a match, the odds can change a lot as points and games are won and serves are broken.
You can take advantage of these shifting odds by making the most of live betting. Typically, live matches may have fewer markets to bet on, but there’s a lot of value if you know how to look for it/ Watching the game gives you better insights, and even if you can’t watch live, sportsbooks will often provide stats.
Live stats during the match help to give you an idea of what’s happening, and you can use this data to make better decisions when betting. Here are some of the live tennis stats available at most sportsbooks:
- Live view of the court
- Information about which player is serving
- Current scores
- Serve speed
- Serve accuracy
- Shot accuracy
- Unforced errors
- Backhand/forehand shot percentages
Betting on Tennis From Your Mobile
You can bet from anywhere you like, as all good sportsbooks are fully compatible with mobile devices. Provided you’re currently in a state with legal betting, there are no restrictions on where you’ll be able to bet from.
To start betting on tennis matches from your mobile, you simply need to load up the sportsbook in your mobile browser. Signing in from smartphones and tablets is really easy, and you’ll be able to access the same bonuses, markets, and more while on the go.
While it’s easy to use the mobile sportsbook through your browser, most sites also offer an app you can download. These make the betting process smoother, faster, and more enjoyable, with push notifications to alert you of new bonuses and the status of your bets.
| Advantages of Mobile Sportsbook App | Disadvantages of Mobile Sportsbook App |
| Place bets instantly | Need space on your device to download |
| Access a full range of markets and bonuses | |
| Bet from anywhere |
Tennis Betting Strategies
As you can see from this guide, betting on tennis isn’t complicated. However, making consistent profits from it is much more challenging. Whether you’re betting just to make matches more exciting or you want to improve your chance of making long-term profits, you should be following a strategy.
There’s no simple strategy you can follow to instantly get results. However, there are steps you can take to find value and increase your success. Here are a few tips you should definitely follow:
Research Every Bet
Research is the number one thing that separates casual bettors from those who make consistent profits. You don’t even necessarily need to be a tennis expert, but looking at the data before you place any bet is important. You should check the surface, head-to-head stats, and current form. In addition, it’s worth looking at how the styles of the two opponents match up.
Check for the Best Odds
Perhaps the biggest impact on your long-term profits is the odds you take when you place your bets. Different sportsbooks will have different odds for the same matches, so always compare before you confirm your bets. Generally, some sites are much better than others for tennis odds, but it’s always a good idea to compare quickly. While a small difference might not seem like much, it can make a big impact in the long run.
Manage Your Bankroll
Last but not least, make sure you’re always taking good care of your bankroll. Don’t bet more than you can afford to lose, and keep your betting habits sensible. To manage your bankroll effectively, you should divide it up into units. For example, one unit should be 1% of your total bankroll. Stick to betting single units for most bets, and as your bankroll changes, your bet sizes will change too.
Tennis Betting FAQ
Is betting on tennis legal?
Betting on tennis and other sports is now legal in much of the US. However, not every state has legalized it just yet. Before you choose a top-rated sportsbook and start betting, make sure you’re able to in your current location. If you’re unsure, check whether your sportsbook is licensed in your state.
Can I claim tennis betting promos?
Yes, all of our recommended sportsbooks offer promos that can be claimed to use on tennis betting. You can find the full details of each promo and instructions on how to claim right here. Before you use any of these bonuses, make sure you read the full terms and conditions carefully.
What strategy should I use when betting on tennis?
There’s no perfect tennis betting strategy that will win every time. However, you can improve your results significantly if you research every bet and look at the data carefully. Consider the rankings, current form, court surface, head-to-head statistics, and other information before you place your bet.
Which tennis betting markets are best?
Major tennis games have a huge number of markets to choose from. Whichever you choose should come down to personal preference, as there isn’t a single market that’s better than others when it comes to finding value. Betting on the match is popular, but you can also bet on each set, game, and point.
Author
Tom Edlin is a senior author and contributor to SportsbookPromo.com. He's been writing and reporting on the US sports betting industry for years and has crafted hundreds of in-depth reviews and guides.
Chris Williams is a senior editor and fact checker at SportsbookPromo.com. He's been active within the US sports betting industry for over five years and has edited and fact checked hundreds of articles.