How to bet on tennis: Sign up, claim free bets, discover top markets & more

Tennis is a globally popular game, played at every level, from hobbyists and youth leagues to Challenger Tours and the famous Grand Slams. A recent study into the popularity of tennis found that over 105 million people worldwide are actively involved in tennis, up 25% from the previous year. That number will rise again in 2025.

Perhaps you’re one of over a billion people who like to follow professional players as they battle it out live on television and the best streaming apps. Tennis at the highest level is fast-paced, competitive, and unpredictable.

A combination of competitive games, live TV coverage, and a bumper audience means pro tennis is ideally suited to online gambling. But even the most dedicated fans struggle to predict the winner of the top competitions, including the US Open and the stunning Wimbledon Championships.

Do you want to make your passion for tennis pay? Would you like to use your knowledge to target a profit by gambling on the top events, fixtures, and players? If you’re a new or inexperienced tennis fan interested in gambling, you’ve found the right page. 

Keep reading as we explain how you can bet on tennis, including the markets that increase your chances of making a profit.

You need a strong understanding of the industry to stand any chance of making a regular and reliable profit from betting on tennis competitions, Grand Slams, and games. It pays to follow the advice of gambling experts with a proven track record of helping you defeat the bookies. As you’d expect from Whop, we have you covered.

Our online sports betting writer, gambling expert, and former professional athlete, Frank Monkhouse, puts tennis betting under the microscope. Keep reading for information on tennis betting, professional hints, and tricks designed to boost your balance and smash the biggest names in online betting.

An overview of tennis betting

Grand Slams

The tennis season runs from January through December, with players given only a few weeks off before diving into a new campaign. It’s a frantic year for the top performers, who often find themselves playing in a punishing final on Sunday afternoon before moving on to the next event early on Monday.

The main fixtures on the schedule are known as the Grand Slams, and these are the cream of the tennis crop. Slams attract all the top players and offer winners cheques in millions of dollars. But what are the Grand Slams, and when are they played? The handy table below gives an overview of each.

Format of Grand Slams and matches

To increase your chances of finding winners in tennis competitions and matches, including Grand Slams, it’s essential to understand the structures. The more you know about tennis, the more winners you’ll find. It’s important to research before parting with your hard-earned stake. One thing is sure: In tennis betting, the traders will do their homework and be up-to-speed with form, injury news, competition format, and more.

The best tennis tournaments, including all four Grand Slams, share a straight knockout format. Before the opening game, players are seeded based on ranking, and officials make the first-round draw. Players then face off, with the winner progressing to the next round and the loser exiting. It’s simple but effective and easy to follow. Competitions usually last two weeks, with the Grand Slams sometimes lasting longer.

Men's games are decided in a best-of-five-sets format, with women’s the best-of-three-sets. The scoring format is as follows: 

Set: A player/team must win 6 games by a margin of at least 2 games. A tiebreak is played at 6–6 (first to 7 points, win by 2).

Game: A player must win 4 points (15, 30, 40, game) and lead by at least 2 points.

Tiebreak: Played at 6–6 in a set. The first to 7 points (win by 2) wins the set.

The top competitions are played on different surfaces, and you must consider that when making your predictions. The best players are comfortable on any surface but usually have a preference and perform best on a particular surface.

Here are the surfaces used in the four Grand Slams each year:

• Australian Open: Hard court
• French Open: Clay
• Wimbledon: Grass
• US Open: Hard court

Best tennis venues

The professional tennis tours visit many of the world’s major nations and cities. The top events are held at breathtaking stadiums, often packed to capacity by thousands of sports fans. The table below lists the top tennis venues.

Where to watch tennis

If you can’t make it along to one of the beautiful stadiums listed in this article, you can follow the best competitions, matches, and players on television and the best live-streaming apps. Following from home allows you to view only the matches that interest you the most, and the accurate start times allow you to organize your day around watching games. 

Which broadcasters have the best and most in-depth tennis coverage? The list below highlights the popular options for viewers in the United States and beyond.

• ESPN - United States - Australian Open, Wimbledon, US Open, ATP and WTA events.
• Eurosport - Europe - Australian Open, Wimbledon, US Open, ATP and WTA events.
• BBC Sport - United Kingdom - Wimbledon and Queens Club.
• Tennis Channel - United States - French Open, ATP and WTA events, Davis Cup, Fed Cup.
• Sky Sports - United Kingdom - ATP and WTA events, US Open.
• DAZN - Canada - ATP and WTA events, US Open.
• TSN - Canada - all Grand Slams.
• Nine Network - Australia - Australian Open and ATP Cup.
• Star Sports - India - all Grand Slams.
• WOWOW - Japan - all Grand Slams.

Bet on tennis online in four simple steps

Now you have a solid understanding of the professional tennis season, the Grand Slams, and the format of games, we’re ready to move on to betting. I’ll walk you through the process of gambling on the winner of a tournament or upcoming match.

1. Decide: Matches vs futures

Visit any respected online bookmaker, browse the sports navigation bar, and click on tennis. You’ll uncover a long list of betting markets. The top bookmakers cover this month's best competitions, this year’s Grand Slams, matches, specials, in-play betting, and more. There’s everything you need to watch, gamble on, and enjoy tennis at the highest level.

You have two main options when gambling on tennis: Futures betting or betting on the next round of fixtures. I’ll now cover these in more detail and demonstrate the opportunities.

Futures betting

The term ‘futures betting’ may sound strange and even a tad complicated, but it’s much easier than it seems at first glance. Put simply, futures betting is a market that allows you to wager on the winner of a Grand Slam or major competition in advance. You can wager on the Australian Open on the week of the event or bet on the next Wimbledon Championships as soon as the previous tournament ends. 

Why would you gamble on a tournament up to 12 months in advance? Many online bettors love the futures market as it offers enhanced odds. Bet on the winner of the US Open months in advance, and you’ll often enjoy higher odds than those who leave it nearer the start of round one. You’ll find futures betting on all major sports at all big bookmakers, including the Kentucky Derby at FanDuel and the Super Bowl at Draft Kings.

Gambling on the tennis futures market offers a crack at attractive prices but carries a risk. If you wager on a player to win the next French Open played in six months, your pick may suffer an injury, drop in form, or loss of fitness before then. They may even be forced to withdraw from the running, meaning you’ll lose your stake without getting a run for your money. When betting on Grand Slam futures, you must balance risk vs reward.

Match betting

If you prefer a quicker result and want to get the profits sooner, you may wish to wager on tennis matches. Visit your bookmaker, click on the tennis tab, and then the competition that catches your eye, such as the Australian Open. You’ll see all upcoming games with moneyline betting odds and popular markets attached.

When betting on tennis matches, you have several exciting options. You can keep it simple and select the winner. When betting on the moneyline, you have a simple win-or-lose situation. Click the odds attached to your pick to add them to your bet slip, input a stake, check, and confirm. Your wager is now live. If your player does as expected and wins the game, you land the returns of that bet. If they lose, the bookie keeps your stake.

All upcoming games have multiple betting markets, including total sets, first-set winner, handicap, and more. Study the stats, check the form, get up to speed on the head-to-head scores, and find the market that gives you the best chance of making a profit. The handicap market is popular in the early rounds when there’s usually a hot favorite in the betting.

2. Open an account

You can browse the tennis schedule, betting markets, and odds available in any of the legal and licensed sportsbooks in your city. But to gamble on tennis, you must create an account and deposit funds. Take your time to find the right betting app for you. It should offer a generous welcome bonus, boast in-depth tennis coverage, and provide live betting.

Registering an account with an online sportsbook is quick and easy. It takes just a few moments to complete when using your laptop or mobile. The steps below will help you sign up quickly and securely, but you must be accurate when adding your information. Providing the wrong info could cause you to lose the welcome bonus free bet or delay your account, causing you to miss the game. 

Here’s how to join any major gambling app today on a desktop or smartphone. You can register at as many betting apps as you wish, collecting the free bets. Having multiple accounts also increases your chances of getting the market’s best price every time you wager on tennis.

1. Visit your chosen betting app’s homepage.
2. Select the Join button at the top of the screen.
3. Input your name, age, and email address to the registration form,
4. Deposit $10 using your debit card or similar payment option.
5. Gamble on a tennis market that catches your eye.
6. The free bet welcome bonus will appear in your balance.

Confirm your details

As you are creating an online betting account remotely without ever meeting a member of your chosen bookmaker’s staff, verifying your details is necessary. It’s a common request in the gambling industry, and all major sportsbooks ask that you verify your information. The step ensures you are who you claim to be and are old enough to gamble and guards against crimes like money laundering.

Again, the verification process is simple. When your bookmaker's customer care team requests it, follow these steps to verify your betting account. It’s best to use your smartphone, as the technology helps to speed up the process.

1. Enable your device’s geolocation settings, proving you are in a state where online betting is permitted.
2. Capture a pic of your photo ID on your mobile’s camera and email it to your sportsbook’s account verification team.
3. They will check your ID matches the details on your betting account. 
4. Your account is then verified in minutes.

3. Select your strategy

Most new and inexperienced gamblers waste their stake by picking a player they are familiar with, such as a famous name, without carrying out the groundwork necessary to get an edge over the traders. 

The best and most profitable gamblers adopt betting strategies, and that’s true of all major sports and markets. But what are the best betting strategies when making predictions on professional tennis? Let me explain.

One thing to know when betting on sports is that there’s no guaranteed way to beat the bookies, and you should avoid any handicapper or self-proclaimed expert claiming otherwise. If there were a surefire way to beat the bookies, the industry would crumble in hours, and if someone did have the magic formula, they certainly wouldn’t spread it around.

Adopting a sensible betting strategy is the best way to improve your chances of finding more betting winners than losers and making a profit. Here are some suggestions for betting strategies you can use this year.

Read the form

The pound-for-pound champion of betting strategies is simple: Study the stats and read the form before gambling. You should know the recent results, how a player performed in their previous match, whether they went deep into the previous competition and may be fatigued, or whether they arrived fresh from a break. Do a deep dive into the stats before making your prediction and risking your stake.

Reading the form won’t guarantee a winner, but even if you place a bet that loses, you can be confident that you put in the work needed and made an informed decision. Remember, even with the most in-depth research, anything can happen in professional sports, and we regularly see upsets.

Follow the pros

Doing the research necessary to make professional picks and increase your chances of landing a profit from tennis betting isn’t an option for many sports fans. Proper research can take many hours or even days, especially when gambling on the Grand Slams, like the Australian Open and Wimbledon Championships.

I understand not all of my readers have the hours to scan tennis stats and trends before finding the best betting odds and making a wager. That’s why many of us choose to place our trust in gambling experts. You can follow a professional tipster at Whop now with some of the industry’s best-known and respected names posting their picks. 

Visit Whop, browse the Discover page, and search for tennis or gambling picks. You’ll find an impressive list of options and can choose the handicapper that makes the most appeal. Join a betting platform at Whop and then sit back while the experts do the research and drop picks into your inbox.

4. Make your tennis bets

When you’ve studied the stats or received the picks of your chosen betting expert at Whop, it’s time to secure your wager. Betting on tennis couldn’t be easier when you use a respected betting app on your smartphone or a famous sportsbook’s website.

Follow the steps below to place secure, accurate, fast wagers on Grand Slams and the best of the upcoming tennis schedule. The process is the same regardless of which competition you follow or the bookmaker used.

• Access your sportsbook app by inputting your username and password.
• Search tennis in the sports navigation bar.
• Pick the competition you want to wager on and then your market.
• Click the odds attached to your pick to add it to your bet slip.
• Congratulations, your tennis bet is live, and a cash-out offer will appear.

Further reading: Handy Whop sports betting guides

• Here’s how to bet on the NFL
• Learn to bet like a pro on golf Majors
• Find winners fast when betting on basketball
• Take advantage of entertainment betting
• Here’s how to bet on Major League Baseball

Attractive tennis betting markets

When betting on tennis, you’ll find dozens of outright, game, and in-play markets available at the touch of a button. Some markets are more appealing than others, and it pays to understand your options. I’ll now cover the most popular tennis betting options.

Outright winner

A great way to gamble on a significant tennis competition, like a Grand Slam, is to predict the champion before the opening match. It’s a value-for-money wager and could provide interest for a week, fortnight, or even longer. It also means you have an interest in the result of every fixture. Select the player you expect to lift the trophy, set your stake, and wager. If your pick wins the title, you celebrate the profits.

Moneyline

If you prefer to gamble on a match, you can play the moneyline option. Pick the player you expect to win and click their odds to add to your bet slip. You can then back them as a single or add several players to the same wager, creating a parlay. The more picks in your parlay, the greater the risk, but the better the rewards if they all win. 

Set betting

The set betting market in tennis is similar to the correct score in soccer. You must choose which player you expect to win and predict the final score, such as 3-2 in sets or 3-0. The set betting market is more challenging than the moneyline, but the odds are better. If you expect a one-sided game, play 3-0 in sets. If you envisage a close contest, pick 3-2. You’ll enjoy a range of odds and find a bet to suit any game.

First set winner

An interesting betting market is the first set winner; the clue is in the name here. You must choose which player will take the opening set. With this bet, it doesn’t matter who wins the match, the score, or the outright winner of the competition. If your player enjoys a fast start and takes a 1-0 lead, you'll bag the profits.

Handicap

The handicap betting market in tennis is advantageous as it allows you to target a reasonable price and profit when gambling on an uncompetitive match, such as those you’ll find in the first round of Grand Slams. If a player is a red hot favorite with odds of -1,000, for example, and you take them on the handicap -1 set, you’ll get much more appealing odds. When backing a player on the handicap, you can bet as a single or create a parlay.

Find winning tennis and sports picks at Whop

We have reached the end of my in-depth article on tennis betting. I hope you found it valuable and easy to follow and that you’re now ready to take the lessons and start making smart sports bets. But understanding how betting works is only half the battle. 

What players perform best on grass? Which of the betting favorites is carrying an injury? What happened when two rivals last went head-to-head? When risking your stake, you must know the answers to these questions. Thankfully, Whop can help.

Browse Whop and you’ll find an impressive list of tennis betting tipsters and gambling experts. You can join one of the many respected free betting tips communities or opt for a paid subscription. The team in charge of your new sports betting home will provide betting previews, picks, advice on finding the best odds, and more.

Check out the Whop sports picks before the next Grand Slam or major tennis event.

Tennis betting FAQs

Can I bet on the winner of the US Open early?

Yes, you can gamble on this year’s US Open winner now. The earlier you bet, the more generous the betting odds.

How do I get a tennis free bet?

Join any major sportsbook featured on this page or site and create an account to qualify for the welcome bonus free bet.

Where can I find the best tennis live streams?

Leading online sportsbooks boast reliable, HD-quality live streams you can watch for free if you have bet on the result.

Can I bet on the correct score?

The correct score betting in professional tennis is called set betting, and it’s a popular market with great odds available.

Which tennis betting markets have the best odds?

Set betting, handicap, and first set winner markets offer eye-catching betting odds that are often much better than you’ll find when playing the moneyline.