Betting on Tennis in India

You can now sign up to the best tennis betting sites that accept Indian users, but it’s important to learn about the sport before you get started. In this guide, we explain everything needed to become a tennis betting expert and more so keep reading.

Tennis History

Games similar to tennis originated in 12th century France but the sport of tennis and the first ever club were founded in Birmingham, England in 1872. This same club, Leamington Lawn Tennis Club is also the location of the world’s oldest tennis tournament, which began three years before the first championships were hello at Wimbledon.

The sport soon grew in popularity and spread all over the world, mainly played by the upper classes of society at the time. It was particularly popular in France, the United States of America, and the United Kingdom. Over the years, the rules haven’t changed too much, but the racquets, balls and the quality of play have all advanced a lot with Indian players keeping tabs.

Today, tennis is one of the world’s most popular sports, and it’s massively popular in India, where around 53% of sports fans enjoy watching it regularly. Events such as Wimbledon, the Australian Open and the French Open are huge are generate a lot of buzz throughout the country.

How Tennis Works

If you want to be successful at tennis betting, you’ll need to know a bit about how the sport works. The game is played between two players, who compete on a court. The aim is to hit the ball into the opponent’s side of the court in a way that they’re unable to return it. Each time a player forces their opponent to be unable to return the ball, they win a point.

The way the point scoring works is that there are four points to be won in each game. Zero points is known as love, one point is 15, two points is 30, three points is 40 and the fourth point wins the game. However, if both players reach 40, a deuce is declared, and a player must gain a point advantage before winning the game on their next point.

Tennis Betting Markets

Before you can start, you’ll first need to understand the different markets available and what they mean. The best betting sites offer a wide range of options for Indian users, allowing you to choose which is best.

  • Outright

    The outright betting market is the simplest to understand. This is a bet on which player you think will win a specific tournament. For example, you can choose who you think will win the Men’s US Open or place a bet on which woman you think will win Wimbledon this year. You’ll need to wait for the tournament to finish before you can collect your payout, so bear this in mind when placing your wager.

  • Match Betting

    Here, each match is split into sets and games, and the player with the best of three or best of five sets will win the match. In a tournament, this means they’ll get to progress and face the next opponent. For example, you might bet on Novak Djokovic to win the match against Carlos Alcaraz. Provided Djokovic wins the match, you’ll win your bet.

    Other tennis match markets include being able to wager on whether a player will win in straight sets, come from behind to win or to win a set or not. You can bet on the total number of games within the match and whether the number is odd or even. All of these should be available at Indian sites.

  • Set Betting

    Each match is made up of several sets. In most matches, it’s a best-of-three format, so there are normally around three sets. You can bet on the outcome of individual sets, wagering that a player will win the first set, for example. Even if this player loses the match, you’ll still win, provided they take the first set.

    Aside from betting on the winner of the set, you can also wager on the total number of games in the set, the race to win a certain number of games or how many games it will take a particular player to be in the lead in a specific set.  There are markets at Indian sites for the correct score group and whether a player will break a serve too, giving you lots of options for each set.

  • Game Betting

    Sets are further broken down into games, with six games in each set. Plus, a potential tiebreak if the set is tied 3-3. You can bet on each game within the match, deciding which player you think will win that particular game. For example, you could bet on Coco Gauff winning game 18.   

    Aside from wagering on the winner of a specific game, you can also bet on how many points will be scored by a player within a specific game, the score of the game or whether or not the game will go to deuce. There’s even a market for which player will win the next two games or whether it will be a tie.

  • Handicap Betting

    A lot of tennis matches are between two unevenly matched opponents, with one player always likely to win the match. There may not be value in betting on the match outcome here, but you can place a handicap bet instead. The handicap betting market puts an imaginary handicap on the higher-ranked player which might apply to the number of sets or the number of games in a match.

    For example, you might bet on Djokovic vs Andrey Rublev. Because Djokovic is ranked much higher, the site gives him a -3.5 handicap. If you wager on him, he’ll have to win the match by four games or more for you to win. You could also bet on Rublev at +3.5, and if he doesn’t lose by four games, you win.

  • Over/Under Betting

    Over/under betting markets are popular at Indian sportsbooks. These let you choose whether the number of games or sets won by a player within the match will be over or under a certain number. For example, you might bet that Casper Ruud wins over 12.5 games vs Taylor Fritz. If Ruud wins 13 games or more, you win, but any less, and you would lose.

  • Other Betting Markets

    Depending on the importance of the game and the site you use, you might have a much longer list of markets to choose from. These can include things like total tie breaks within a match, whether the match will go the distance, breaking serve by set and the double result. Each offers a slightly unique way to bet on the match and opens new opportunities for you to find value.

Tennis Betting Tips

Now you know more about markets, you’re almost ready to get started. First, we’ll share some important tennis betting tips with you. These won’t guarantee you profit, but they should help you make better decisions that lead to a greater chance of profit.

  • 1

    Choose the Right Betting Site

    Your first step to successful tennis betting is to choose the right site. There are lots of sportsbooks out there to choose from and finding the right one can be a challenge. We’ve ranked some of the best tennis betting sites that accept Indian punters for you to easily find one that suits you best. Make sure you only ever use sites that are trusted, secure and licensed, as you need to be sure your money is safe.

    Take a look at the characteristics that are most important to you, including the odds on tennis events. Ideally, you want to find a site that offers the best odds, because this will affect how much profit you can make. Other factors to consider include payment methods, customer support, welcome offers, and free bets. Once you’ve chosen, you are ready to sign up, claim your welcome offer and find the tennis odds to get started.

  • 2

    Pay Attention to Court Surface

    The surface that the players compete on, known as the court surface, has a major impact on the outcome of the match. Different tournaments use different surfaces, with Wimbledon using grass, the French Open using clay and the US Open using an acrylic hard court.

    These surfaces affect the movement of the players as well as the bounce and flight of the ball. The International Tennis Federation classifies each surface as a level between one and five, with one being the slowest and five being the quickest.

    Some players specialise on certain surfaces, while others have a weakness to a particular court type. Make sure you check this before you bet, as it will help you choose which player to bet on. Grass courts are one of the quickest, with players needing to get to the ball much quicker than on harder surfaces. In addition, the ball bounces low. This favours players who serve well and volley close to the net.

    Clay is much slower with a higher bounce in comparison and allows longer rallies. Hard courts and synthetic courts can vary depending on the exact type of material used.

  • 3

    Check the Stats

    Stats are one of the most important checkpoints you can use to research when deciding what to bet on. You’ll find loads of form stats and head-to-head stats online, all of which should be used to make an informed decision on your bet. Form is important to check because even the best players can sometimes go through bad spells, with confidence and injuries affecting the outcome of bets.

    Head-to-head stats shouldn’t be overlooked either. Despite the rankings, some players might simply be a better match for a particular opponent and get the better of them more often. You can check other stats too, such as the general style of play, how well a player holds their serve and how they do under pressure in finals. All this information will help you make better decisions on your bets.

  • 4

    Find Value in the Odds

    The key to being successful with betting is finding value in the odds. This is where the odds don’t reflect the true probability of an event occurring. For example, odds will often change depending on how other people bet, so a big favourite can influence the odds even if their chances of success are low.

    You can also find value in the odds if you find out about an injury or problem before the sportsbooks do. This is particularly common when betting in-play, where a lot of value can be found. In-play also lets you take advantage of big swings in the odds. You can wait for a favourite to go a set down before placing a wager on them for better value, for example.

Summary

Tennis is a hugely popular sport, and so is betting on it. You can now join in on the action in India, finding the best sportsbooks and placing wagers on all the major tournaments and tours. There are lots of different markets to choose from, and it’s important to do your research before you get started. Provided you follow our tennis betting tips in this guide, you should be able to have more fun watching tennis and placing bets.

FAQ

  • What is the best strategy for tennis betting?

    Most people will tell you that in-play betting is the best strategy as it gives you a chance to find rapidly changing odds and, therefore better value. However, the best strategy is any that works well for you and leads to consistent profit.

  • Can betting on tennis be profitable?

    Yes absolutely, you can make real money wagering on tennis if you know what you’re doing. The trick is to find a viable strategy and do enough research to find value in the odds.

  • What does +1.5 mean?

    The +1.5 is used in handicap betting, either for a set handicap or a game handicap. If you bet on a player with a +1.5-game handicap, they can lose a set by one game and your bet will still win.

  • How can I start betting on tennis?

    It’s extremely easy to get into once you know the rules and understand how it all works. You simply need to find one of the best sports betting sites that accept Indian users, sign up and make a deposit.

  • What happens if a player retires in a tennis match?

    Occasionally, tennis players retire from a match due to injury or feeling unwell. In this case, what happens to your match winner bet varies depending on the betting site you use. Some sites will void the bet and return your stake, while others may payout if there was a significant lead.

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Daniel Tafvelin
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