Everything You Need To Know About Tennis
Tennis is a racket-based sport in which participants use tennis rackets to hit a ball over a net and into their opponents’ court with the aim of hitting it in a way that the opponent cannot play a return. The game, which historians believe dates back to around the 12th century, can be played as singles where one person plays against another or doubles in which a team of two people face-off against another pair.
Today, tennis is played by millions of players around the world and there are currently four major tournaments that take place each year, they are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open, all of which have become popular events to bet on.
Rules Of Tennis
Generally speaking, the rules of tennis differ depending on whether it’s a singles or doubles match. However, much of the rules are the same in that:
- The tennis ball must land within bounds to continue playing
- Balls that land outside of bounds will lose the player the point
- Players cannot teach the net, posts or cross onto their opponents’ side
- Players cannot carry the ball, hit it twice or catch it
- Players must wait for the ball to pass over the net before returning it
- Players who fail to return a ball before it bounces twice loses the point
- Players serving must bounce the ball once
When it comes to scoring, things can get a little more complicated. Generally speaking, the scoring system works differently for games, sets, and matches. However, the points system works as follows:
- 0 Points: Love
- 1 Point: 15
- 2 Points: 30
- Tied Score: All
- 40-40: Deuce
- Server wins deuce point: Ad-in
- Receiver wins deuce point: Ad-out
To win a game, the player must win four points, known as a game. Now, there are different sets within tennis which consist of different games. They include:
- Advantage Set: A player or team must win six games by two to win the set. There is no tiebreak game at 6-6
- Tiebreaker Set: A player or team must win six games to win a set. If the score gets to 5-5, one player or team must win the following two games to win the set but if the score reaches 6-6-, a tiebreak game is played
This is a brief overview of the rules associated with tennis. There’s a lot more to the game than what we’ve explained here, but we believe this to be the key information required for placing bets on tennis games.
Tennis Betting: How Does It Work?
Tennis betting works like betting on any other sports game. You simply have to register with a UK betting website that offers betting on tennis games, verify your account as required by the UK Gambling Commission, make a deposit, and then select the game or event you want to place a bet on. From there, you simply select the bet you want to wager on, enter your wager, and then confirm the bet. Once this has been done, you’ll be required to wait for the game or event to finish for the bet to be settled and any winnings credited to your account.
The Bets
Now, before you start placing bets on different games it’s important to note that there are several different types of bets you can wager on. They include:
- Outright: Betting on the outright winner of a tournament or championship
- Match: Betting on who you believe will win the match
- Handicap: When a player has several games deducted from their total and the player with the highest total of games wins
- Over/Under: Betting on whether you believe a betting site’s prediction of how many games a match contains is higher or lower than the actual number that occurs
- Correct Score: Betting on what you believe the correct score of a game will be
Not all of these will be available for you to bet, it will generally depend on the betting site you’re registered with as well as the game or event that you’re betting on. This means it’s worth taking a look at different websites before placing a bet since other sites may offer more betting options or may just have better odds.
Important Tennis Information
If you are looking at betting on tennis games and tournaments, it’s important to understand the different events as well as the most famous players. Knowing this information should help you make more informed bets on the popular sport, so keep reading on.
Tennis Grand Slam Tournaments
As mentioned, there are four main tennis tournaments; the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. Each of the Grand Slam tournaments are split into four sets; Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles, Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles, and Mixed Doubles.
It’s also worth noting that each of the Grand Slam tournaments take place at different times of the year in different places. Take a look below for more information:
- Australian Open: Mid to late January at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia. Played on a hard surface.
- French Open: Late May to early June at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France. Played on clay surfaces.
- Wimbledon: Late June to Early July at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London, England. Played on a grassy surface.
- US Open: Late August to early September at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City, United States. Played on a hard surface.
All tournaments can be wagered on and they can usually see large payouts being made. However, we’ll stress that this generally depends on the individual betting website.
Popular Players
In addition to knowing and understanding the main Grand Slam tournaments, it’s well worth knowing who the best players in tennis are. Some notable players include:
- Roger Federer: Winner of 20 Grand Slam singles, six Australian Opens, eight Wimbledons, and four US opens
- Serena Williams: Winner of 23 Grand Slam singles, seven Australian Opens, three French Opens, seven Wimbledons, and six US Opens
- Rafael Nadal: Winner of 19 Grand Slam singles, one Australian Open, 12 French Opens, two Wimbledons, four US opens, and more
- Steffi Graf: Winner of 22 Grand Slam singles, four Australian Opens, six French Opens, seven Wimbledons, and five US Opens
- Novak Djokovic: Winner of 16 Grand Slam singles, six Australian Opens, one French Opens, five Wimbledons, and three US Opens
- Martina Navratilova: Winner of 18 Grand Slam singles, three Australian Opens, two French Opens, nine Wimbledons, and four US Opens
These are some of the top players for both men’s and women’s tennis games. In many cases, it can be worth placing bets on these players but it will generally depend on who they’re facing-off against.
Which Sites Are Best For Tennis Betting?
Generally speaking, you’ll find that most online betting websites allow you to bet on tennis as well as a huge selection of other sports games. However, there are some betting websites which we believe to be better than others whether that’s because of its welcome bonus and promotions, or because of its sheer game selection. Take a look at our recommended of the best sites for tennis betting online.
William Hill
William Hill is one of the biggest names in sports betting, so it makes sense that the website offers tennis as a betting option. In addition to that, you’ll also be able to wager on a variety of other sports games and events, and can enjoy live casino content, Playtech video slots, poker, bingo, and video slots from various other developers too.
Meanwhile, new customers who register at William Hill and place a bet of £10 or more on odds of 1/2 can claim two £15 free bets! If you’re interested in learning more, we suggest you read through our William Hill review here.
Bet365
Bet365 is another popular betting site that allows you to wager on tennis. New users who register here can claim up to £100 bet credits for depositing a minimum of £5 or more.
The website is home to a large selection of betting activities and it provides all registered users with a small catalogue of casino games including video slots, table games, live casino, poker, and bingo too. You can discover more about the website by reading our Bet365 review.
Betway
Betway is another big-name betting operator. This website, which offers new users a £10 free bet, allows you to wager on tennis as well as numerous other sports like horse racing, football, golf, eSports, table tennis, and plenty more.
If that isn’t enough, the website also provides players with casino games, eSports betting, live casino content, and so much more. Want to know more about Betway? Check out our Betway review.
MansionBet
MansionBet is a great sports betting website that is currently offering new customers a £10 free bet for placing a £10 bet. Users who register can bet on tennis plus plenty of other sports to place wagers on. It also accepts numerous payment options like PayPal!
On top of that, there are plenty of promotions to enjoy as well as a range of casino games including slots, jackpots, table games, and more, as well as virtual sports. Interested in learning more? Have a read through of our MansionBet review.
VirginBet
Our final recommendation is VirginBet, an online betting service which is designed around the Virgin Media brand. This website, like all others here, allows you to place bets on tennis and other sports like basketball, greyhound racing, football, darts, eSports, cycling, ice hockey, and so much more.
The website also provides plenty of promotions and numerous casino games too including video slots, table games, live casino, and so much more. You can discover more about the website by reading our VirginBet review here.
Questions & Answers (FAQ)
Is it safe to bet on tennis games?
Yep! Betting on tennis is completely safe as long as you’re doing it a UK-licensed online betting site. All the sites we’ve suggested are valid in the UK, making them completely safe to play at.
Are there any special tennis betting promotions?
Generally speaking, you won’t usually find any tennis specific promotions but you may be able to enjoy some during the big Grand Slam tournaments. However, this doesn’t stop you from using other generic promotions.
Which sites should I register with for tennis online betting?
We’ve shared a list of our recommendations for the best websites for tennis betting online. Check out our reviews to find a website that works best for you.
Can I play casino games at online betting websites?
Yep! Most online betting sites today provide players with the opportunity to play traditional casino games, which is great. However, the selection of game s available will depend on the casino website.
Should I bet on tennis games?
That’s entirely up to you but we believe you should only bet on something if it interests you and if you have an avid interest in the sport.