Tennis has a solid multinational audience, and the dynamics of the tennis calendar mean that the four Grand Slams take place across three continents to cater to this global appetite. This viewership hints at just how popular the sports betting markets are, too.
The Correlation Between Sports Audiences & Betting Markets
Sports betting markets respond to audience figures; it’s as simple as that. And betting platforms will leave no stone unturned if the business makes sense. Tennis betting makes sense. The stop-start nature of the game means you can bet on a host of derivative in-play markets, such as the next player to fault, the next double serve, who will win that point or set, and how many clear games they’ll win it by.
We could go on, but we’re sure you get the point—there’s a hive of activity throughout the tennis calendar. A bet on tennis covers so many possibilities that sports betting platforms can expand their markets as far as possible to hoover up as many customers as possible. However, since the viewing figures are much greater during the Grand Slams, it’ll come as no surprise that the tennis matches that have seen the most betting activity so far this year have all taken place at Grand Slams.
Australian Open
As the first Grand Slam to get the year underway, this year’s 2024 Australian Open had some real surprises, meaning those who backed the right players with the bookies probably landed good odds. For a significant portion of the last two years, Carlos Alcaraz has been crowned, perhaps prematurely, the new titan of tennis, following the retirements of Federer and Nadal and the impending retirement of Novak—although he’s still got plenty in the tank at the moment.
The five-set final between Sinner and Medvedev saw the precocious Italian talent snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, having lost the first two sets. Although the Italian went into the Aussie Open as number four in the world, his victory here in the most watched and most betted-on game of the tournament kickstarted a phenomenal year, which has seen him end the year as world number one and win an ATP Finals crown to boot.
Roland Garros
There was really no point betting on the French Open when Rafa Nadal was in his pomp. He is undeniably the greatest clay court player of all time, and he set the standard to a level it’s doubtful we will ever see again. Betting markets reflected his dominance, with many bookies paying out early whenever he’d reach the final, or offering odds so short that it was pointless to put any money down.
Now that the legendary Spaniard has bid his emotional farewell to the sport, a group of players wants to establish themselves as the next dominant force in the French Open. His fellow Spaniard, Alcaraz, returned to a rich vein of form and lifted the title in a five-set war of attrition against Zverev.
This game and his semi-final against Sinner were the two most watched games, so subsequently, they were the most betted-on tennis matches of the year. Unlike the Australian Open, the time zones favor European and US bettors, although the Aussies are big sports bettors. The growing demand for sportsbooks in both countries is reflected in the number of bets on the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open.
Wimbledon & The US Open
Since Wimbledon gets primetime coverage in the UK, it draws a significant mainstream audience, which results in a flurry of betting activity. In 2023, the final between Alcaraz and Djokovic was watched by almost 15 million people.
This year’s final between them did not draw the same audience, but it was by far the most-watched game of the tournament and saw a huge influx of betting activity. Compared to previous years, the US Open was relatively tame. It didn’t ignite like the other Grand Slams, with TV ratings down over 30%, and the final between Sinner and Fritz drawing an audience of less than 2 million, meaning that it wasn’t even one of the most betted on matches of the year, despite being the game that decided the outcome of the year’s final Grand Slam.
Final Thoughts
Tennis follows the same pathway as other prominent sports. As we discussed in our introduction, the games that attract the highest viewing figures are subsequently the most betted-on games over the year.
With more sports betting platforms offering streaming services, and depending on where you are in the world, you can watch many tennis games via a multitude of sports betting mobile apps. Ultimately, this has helped to bolster the numbers and introduce more people to betting on tennis, particularly in-play games.
Although other tournaments attract a sizeable audience, anything outside a Grand Slam is usually reserved for the ardent tennis fan. Year after year, Grand Slams attract the biggest numbers and are a key market for betting companies, who will often advertise Grand Slam betting specials because of their popularity.
