When planning your tennis bets, you need to consider a number of variables that can help increase your chances of making a profit. Don’t miss our experts’ tips on how to bet on tennis.

Top Tips for Betting on Tennis

Gathering as much information as possible is essential when betting on any sport. However, when it comes to tennis, there are certain key aspects you should pay close attention to if you want to take your betting to the next level. Wondering how to bet on tennis? Here are some useful tips you may not have known:

Know All the Tournaments

The first step in making tennis predictions is to understand how the various tournaments work. As you know, there are several competitions held throughout the season, and it’s important to understand what’s at stake in each of them.

Keep in mind that there’s a wide variety of tournaments, including:

• Four Grand Slam events
• Nine Masters 1000 tournaments
• 13 ATP-500 tournaments
• 40 ATP-250 tournaments

You should also distinguish between men’s and women’s categories, as well as other major competitions like the Davis Cup, Billie Jean King Cup (formerly Fed Cup), and periodic events outside the regular circuit, such as the Olympic Games, just to name a few.

Once you’re familiar with the calendar, you can start planning your tennis betting strategy—deciding when to bet and in which markets to do it.

Live Betting Plays a Bigger Role Here

Tennis is a sport where decisions are often influenced by the rankings. It’s natural to place bets on players like Alcaraz or Djokovic, as they’re considered favorites on paper in any tournament.

However, if you truly want to maximize your profits, our advice is to take advantage of live betting, where odds can often be much more appealing.

Watching the match live allows you to evaluate each player’s performance and spot who is really playing well on the court. Based on how the match unfolds, you’ll be able to find opportunities to profit from in-play tennis bets.

Pay Attention to Who’s Serving in Each Set

Having the serve is a key factor in how a tennis match plays out. It generally provides an advantage, so by closely observing how the serve alternates between players, you can get a sense of how the match might develop.

Breaking your opponent’s serve is no easy task, so the player who has the upper hand in this area could become your betting favorite.

In this context, knowing each player’s strengths is crucial. Understanding which players have strong serves or high first-serve point win percentages can help you find value in other markets with potentially higher odds.

Knowing player stats is essential. A powerful server like John Isner or a consistent returner like Daniil Medvedev can significantly impact your betting choices, especially in props like:

• Player to win service games
• Total aces
• Breaks of serve

The Surface Has a Big Impact on Betting

The type of court surface is one of the most important factors when it comes to tennis betting. Playing on clay, grass, or hard court significantly affects the match—and generally, each player has a preferred surface where they perform best.

A player’s playing style also impacts how well they adapt to each surface, so paying attention to the court is vital when placing your bets.

Sometimes, this factor can help you find better odds. For example: Roger Federer was nearly unbeatable on grass, so he was always the top favorite on that surface. This allowed bettors to place handicap bets during grass-court tournaments like Wimbledon. By increasing the difficulty of your bet (i.e., not going for a simple moneyline), the odds—and potential returns—go up.

Player Form and Recent Performance

Finally, when considering how to bet on tennis successfully, don’t forget to focus on individual performance. Always check recent results and player statistics before placing your bets—this will help you identify both hot streaks and slumps in form.

You should also check the latest ATP or WTA rankings to gauge a player’s current status.

Knowing a player’s form allows you to evaluate whether it’s worth betting on them or if it’s better to go with their opponent. Every player goes through ups and downs—even Rafael Nadal had periods where his form wasn’t at its peak. Doing your research on each player will help you make more informed and confident betting decisions.

Avoid These Common Tennis Betting Mistakes

Learning what not to do is just as important as knowing what to do. Here are a few mistakes that can cost you money:

• Betting solely based on rankings
• Ignoring fatigue, travel, or injury reports
• Overvaluing star players in minor tournaments
• Treating all formats the same (best of 3 vs. best of 5)
• Forgetting to consider head-to-head history

Avoiding these pitfalls will set you apart from casual bettors.

Explore a Wider Range of Betting Markets

While moneyline bets are the most popular, there’s a wide variety of tennis betting markets that can add value and flexibility to your strategy:

• Match Winner
• Handicap Bets – Adjust odds by backing a player to win by a margin
• Set Betting – Predict exact final score (e.g. 2–0 or 2–1)
• Over/Under Total Games
• Winner of First Set
• Will there be a Tie-Break?
• Total Aces or Double Faults

These alternatives often offer better odds and allow you to apply your knowledge of match dynamics more precisely.