Tennis attracts players with its intensity and a wide range of betting options. For a prediction to come true, you should carefully choose the match and the player, based on their past performances, current form and level of motivation. Equally important is analysing the statistics of both opponents, their strengths and weaknesses, as well as taking the court surface into account. This approach helps you make informed decisions and increases your chances of success.

The foundation of winning tennis bets is knowing the bet types and the odds the bookmaker offers its customers. To settle on the most profitable option, you need to clearly see how bets on the winner, handicaps, totals and bets on individual sets differ. It is also worth tracking odds movement: fluctuations often signal fresh circumstances or a change in the players' emotional state.

Types of tennis bets

Tennis bet types matter a lot to a bettor, as they open up many ways to grow your bankroll. Some options come down to simply picking the winner, while others require a deeper assessment of specific moments of the match. Flexibly combining different bet types to suit the context of the match noticeably increases your chances of success.

Main types of tennis bets:

• Bet on the winner: the outcome of the contest is predicted.
• Handicap: a handicap is added to the score of the weaker competitor.
• Total (over/under): a bet on the total number of games or sets in the match.
• Bets on individual sets: a prediction on the result of each set separately.
• Correct score: predicting the final result of the match.
• Live betting: placed right during the game based on the current situation.
• Futures: an advance prediction of the winners of major tournaments.
• Special bets: bets on specific stats or moments of the match (for example, the number of aces).

US Open tennis betting odds

US Open is one of the four Grand Slam tournaments and offers plenty of betting opportunities. The two-week programme is hosted by the National Tennis Center in New York, where titles are contested in five senior and four junior categories. It is organised by the United States Tennis Association, and since 1978 it has been played on hard courts. Before that, the event was held for three seasons on clay and for a long time on grass, so the US Open is the only major to have been played on three surfaces.

In the last eleven editions of the US Open, the winner of the opening set lost the final only twice. In 2016 Stan Wawrinka won three sets in a row after the second set, and in 2020 Dominic Thiem turned the match around from 0:2 down. The tournament takes place in late August and early September, when New York is at its hottest, which further exhausts the players.

As already mentioned, the US Open is played on acrylic hard courts. This surface provides a low bounce and a predictable ball trajectory. It suits attacking players and defensive baseliners equally well, so the gap between favourites and underdogs narrows. Matches turn out intense and demand stamina and strong physical conditioning from the players.

As the tournament nears its climax, fatigue takes its toll, as confirmed by data on five-set matches from the round of 64 onwards. Over the past three years, 28 men's singles matches at the US Open went to five sets, and in 64% of cases the winner lost their next match.

If you disregard odds on underdogs (over 2.50), the return rate (ROI) reaches 20.1%. Under stricter conditions, when you also discard unpopular bets with odds below 1.30, the strategy reaches an ROI of around 40%. The sample is small, but the last three US Opens were profitable with this approach.

Wimbledon: what to consider when betting

Grass, Wimbledon's main surface, is considered the fastest of all courts. For comparison, the Australian Open and US Open usually see up to 80 tie-breaks per tournament, and Roland Garros around 60.

Statistics from the last four Wimbledons hide an interesting detail: 366 tie-breaks were played in men's singles, an average of 91 per year. This figure is worth keeping in mind when betting on the tournament, including live. An analysis of data for 2016-2019 shows that after winning a tie-break, a player also took the next set in 60% of cases.

How the odds for the Australian Open are formed

The Australian Open has long been an annual Grand Slam, which turns 110 in 2022. The event is hosted by Melbourne, Australia, at the Melbourne Park venue. Five categories are contested: men's and women's singles plus three doubles events (men's, women's and mixed).

An analysis of the last three Australian Opens shows the following: out of 13 matches in the 1/32 finals, players who won their first round 3:0 as underdogs exceeded their own total in 8 out of 13 cases, with the bookmaker pricing it at odds of around 1.90-2.00. The average number of games was about 17.

Assessing ATP betting odds

The ATP, the Association of Tennis Professionals, was founded back in 1972 and today holds a leading position worldwide. The organisation has had both an old and an updated logo, and its season starts every January.

To understand the logic behind ATP tennis odds, it is worth getting to know the season calendar. First come exhibition events such as the Hopman Cup, followed by the official competitions. Play starts on hard courts, then moves to clay and grass, before returning to hard courts again. The year closes with the Masters Cup, the season-ending world tournament with a prize fund of 8.5 million dollars.

When building a betting strategy, it is useful to keep in mind a few features of men's tennis:

• Many players pay special attention to their serve, honing it with coaches at specialised academies. A consistent and accurate serve adds confidence in one's own service games: the player calmly waits for the opponent's mistake and takes the match. The serve speed record belongs to Samuel Groth at 263 km/h.
• Practice will help you master the mechanics of ATP odds. Create an account on Stawki.bet, top it up with a small amount, follow live streams and draw conclusions from individual matches while placing bets. Finals traditionally attract the most bets.

For those who want to dive deeper into men's tennis, various betting strategies are available.

Stawki.bet: a platform for tennis betting

Stawki.bet is a bookmaker with a wide range of options for tennis betting. It covers a large number of matches and tournaments, and the clear interface lets you quickly find your way around the offers. The bookmaker sets attractive odds and offers many bet types, from classic to live. Responsible gambling plays an important role: players are reminded to think through every bet and keep risks under control. 18+.

What are the main bet types available for tennis?

Basic options include bets on the winner, set or game handicaps, correct score, as well as bets on individual stats of key game elements.

What principles should you follow for successful tennis betting?

Track the consistency of your chosen favourite, assess both opponents' form soberly, don't back the leader blindly, stick to your own betting and bankroll strategy, listen to experts without trusting them blindly and use live betting to gain an edge.

Why does tennis attract newcomers to the world of bookmakers?

Tennis appeals to beginners thanks to fewer bet formats, which makes the whole process clearer and easier to understand.

What factors to consider when choosing a tennis bet?

Consider the players' consistency, their current form, head-to-head history, court and playing conditions, as well as possible injuries or changes in preparation.

Why are live bets in tennis useful?

Real-time betting keeps you up to date with the course of the match, lets you react to twists in the game and makes the whole process more dynamic and interactive.