Tennis Betting in New York
Tennis betting is reaching new records for betting volume every year.
The ATP and WTA tours operate on a nearly year-round basis, which means online sportsbooks are ready with odds and lines. While the regular tour stops bring in plenty of business, betting handles soars even more for the Grand Slams.
Here in New York, the US Open is obviously a top highlight that draws tons of betting action both in-state and across the country. You can now bet on it legally and safely at online sportsbooks in New York. Here’s how.
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How to bet on tennis in New York
You can place your bets legally and safely online in New York.
Online sportsbooks and apps abound as a result, and NY residents can easily jump on board. Here’s what you need to do:
- Click on one of our links to a sportsbook to set up an account and receive a bonus bet or special promo.
- Enter your details on the registration page and complete the process.
- Download the app for your phone or tablet from the sportsbook website and log in.
- Make your first deposit and start browsing around.
You can complete all of the above from home in NY. When it’s time to place bets, make sure you’re within state lines or your bets won’t go through.
Best tennis betting sites in New York
Tennis betting odds explained
There are a number of ways to bet on tennis, all of which we’ll cover in full detail in a bit. For now, let’s focus on the main betting lines you’ll see at sportsbooks. Once you click on the tennis link, the betting lobby will be populated with all of the upcoming matches for both men and women. At WynnBet Sportsbook New York the listing might look like this:
- Novak Djokovic -210
- Alexander Zverev +180
The main bet is on the outright winner of the match, and it works just like a moneyline wager in other sports. There are odds on both sides — negative for favorites and positive for underdogs — which will move in response to betting action. To place a bet, you simply click on the odds of your choice. It goes on the betting slip, where you add in your amount, verify and click submit.
The range between the odds tells us how close of a matchup the oddsmakers envision. If it’s close — such as -125/+105 — then a tight matchup could be coming. For wide spans — like -350/+300 — then it looks like a paper mismatch. In our example, Djokovic is a decent-sized favorite over the underdog Zverev.
You can figure the potential returns by looking at the odds. For negative numbers, that’s the amount you have to lay for a chance to win $100 in profit — i.e., $210 at -210. When the odds are positive, that’s what you stand to get back on a $100 winner — i.e., $180 at +180. Last but not least, remember to shop around and compare odds at multiple books to find the best prices.
Types of tennis bets
There are several ways to bet on tennis, many of which will be familiar to fans of other sports. In advance of a tournament, outright winner bets are popular. Once the action gets underway, the focus shifts to the individual matches. Let’s take a look at how those bets and other top options work.
Tournament winners
When there’s a tournament on tap, sportsbooks will release odds for the outright winner. There will be odds for all players scheduled to compete, and separate listings for ATP and WTA events. Players are typically listed in descending order with the favorites at the top. Here’s what the board might look like for a few favorites.
- Rafael Nadal +225
- Novak Djokovic +275
- Dominic Thiem +350
Head-to-head matchups
Tennis tournaments work in rounds. The winners of the first-round matchups move on, and so on throughout the course of the event. When matchups are announced, odds will come out for all of the pairings. They’ll look like basic moneyline bets.
- Ashleigh Barty -135
- Serena Williams +115
Spread betting
There’s also a spread element to tennis betting, which you can find by clicking on the individual matchup listings. The spread will depend on sets or games. You can choose the favorite minus the spread or the underdog plus the number to cover.
- Daniil Medvedev +4.5 games (-110)
- Roger Federer -4.5 games (-110)
Totals betting
This is the tennis version of an over/under wager. Oddsmakers will set the bar for total games or sets in a match. You can place your bets on the actual amount to be over or under that line.
- Over 3.5 sets -110
- Under 3.5 sets -110
Futures
There’s also an active futures market in tennis. The most popular options revolve around the winners of Grand Slams. The odds board works just like it does for outright winners: favorites at the top followed by all other competitors.
- Simona Halep +240
- Naomi Osaka +270
- Sofia Kenin +310
There’s typically a dedicated tab for futures once you click on the tennis listing. The default in the lobby will be for the outright winner before the tournament or the individual matches. When you click on a matchup listing, other available markets — spread, total, etc. — will appear. In short, you’ll have lots of options to consider for betting on tennis.
Live betting on tennis in New York
Tennis betting itself continues to grow in popularity, but there’s one segment that is outpacing others. Live betting affords users the opportunity to wager along in real-time with virtually every serve and volley. Also known as in-game betting, these types of wagers at online sportsbooks can really draw you into the action.
Things move fast, but apps from the top shops make it easy to stay current with what’s happening. There will be updated odds based on what’s going on, and lots of opportunities that pop up as the match plays out. Here’s just a small sample of some of the wagers you’ll come across.
- Updated odds for the match, spreads and totals.
- Wagers on segments of the match such as games or sets.
- Bets on the winner of each point.
If you like things at a slower pace, you can focus on the updated matchup lines or go for the individual games and sets. For bettors who want to move fast, betting on each point should do the trick. Regardless of how you live bet, remember to always wager with your head and never over it.
Grand Slam schedule
The biggest highlights of the tennis calendar are the four Grand Slam events. These are the most prestigious tournaments of the year, and all of the top pros on both the men’s and women’s sides participate.
Australian Open
The Grand Slam calendar begins with a trip down under. The Australian Open also essentially marks the beginning of both the ATP and WTA schedules for the season.
- Dates: Jan/Feb
- Location: Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Surface: GreenSet hard surface
- Prize pool: $49.1 million
- Inaugural event: 1905
- Defending champs: Novak Djokovic and Naomi Osaka
French Open
The eyes of the tennis world shift to the clay courts at Roland-Garros for this one. One of the most grueling tournaments of the year, the French Open has provided fans with tons of memories through the years.
- Dates: May/June
- Location: Roland-Garros in Paris
- Surface: Clay
- Prize pool: $44.6 million
- Inaugural event: 1891
- Defending champs: Novak Djokovic and Barbora Krejcikova
Wimbledon
One of the signature sporting events of the year takes place across the pond. The roots of Wimbledon stretch back well over a century. The tournament is filled with prestige, not to mention tons of action.
- Dates: June/July
- Location: All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club in London
- Surface: Grass
- Prize pool: $49.4 million
- Inaugural event: 1877
- Defending champs: Novak Djokovic and Ashleigh Barty
US Open
The final slam of the year takes place in the Big Apple. The US Open is an incredibly popular event that has produced and inspired multiple legendary performances through the years.
- Dates: Aug/Sept
- Location: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City
- Surface: Hard court
- Prize pool: $53.4 million
- Inaugural event: 1881
- Defending champs: Daniil Medvedev and Emma Raducanu
Best ATP/WTA events to bet on
While the Grand Slams get the majority of mainstream attention, they’re far from the only events you can wager on. The ATP and WTA circuits are incredibly busy. Around the slams, you can find a signature tour stop nearly every month of the year. On the ATP side, the biggest highlights are:
- February: Dubai Tennis Championships — hard court
- March: Indian Wells Masters — hard court
- August: Canadian Open — hard court
- September: Petersburg Open — hard court
- October: European Open — hard court
The women stay just as busy with regular tournaments across the globe. Naturally, some of the events hold more prominence than others. Here’s a handful of the top events on the WTA circuit that you’ll want to circle on the calendar.
- February: Qatar Open — hard court
- March: Lyon Open — hard court
- August: Canadian Open — hard court
- September: Pan Pacific Open — hard court
- October: Kremlin Cup — hard court
Sportsbook house rules for tennis betting
The settlement and placement of tennis bets is covered under the house rules at online sportsbooks, as are all of the other ins and outs that you need to know. Most of what you’ll find is fairly common knowledge, but books lay everything out so you know what to expect. At the basic level, here’s what you need to know.
- Bets that you place in advance of tournaments and matches are live once the first ball goes into play. If there happens to be a change in venue, surface or conditions, the same applies. Bets will remain live in the event of a delay, but will be void if a match or event is canceled.
- For the majority of wagers, at least one set has to be completed before the sportsbook will grade the bet. Rules on walkovers and player disqualifications may vary, so consult the rules at your book for exact details.
- All settlements will be based on official data and statistics from the event. The sportsbook will not entertain disputes on things like points, winners or scoring.
Once again, we have to reiterate the importance of reviewing the rules at the specific book you use. While many rules are standard across the industry, there may be an anomaly or two here or there. At many sportsbooks, there’s a dedicated section for house rules. For other shops that don’t have one, check out the help, FAQ or terms and conditions sections.
Legal vs. offshore sites for tennis betting
Despite the fact that there are plenty of legal options for bettors to consider, there remains a market of illicit operators who are more than happy to take your funds. Unfortunately, there are no guarantees that you’ll ever see them again.
There are sites that operate offshore under what they view as a legal gray area. As such, they market themselves to US consumers as perfectly fine options to consider for sports betting. Quite simply, there are no regulations in place holding them to anything. By extension, your funds and data are at risk.
When you deal with a legal and regulated sportsbook, such as all of our recommended sportsbooks, that’s not the case. Protections are in place for your funds, and there are clear pathways to resolution should the need for help ever arise. When looking to bet on sports, stick to the legal sportsbooks and don’t take any unnecessary risks with your funds.
Best sports bars to watch tennis in NY
Those looking for live tennis action in New York will naturally want to put a trip to the US Open on their bucket list. It’s one of the top tournaments of the year, and a big attraction as a result. The in-person thrills are high there, but there’s also plenty to be said for heading out to catch some of the matches at a bar. Here’s a trio of spots to consider:
The Three Monkeys
- Address: 236 W. 54th St., New York, NY
- Phone: 212-586-2080
- Hours: Open daily, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
- Lots of TVs and plenty of beers on tap, as well as an outdoor deck on the second floor.
Spin New York 23
- Address: 48 E. 23rd St., New York, NY
- Phone: 212-982-8802
- Hours: Wednesday to Sunday, 4 p.m.-10 p.m.
- Featuring a full-service bar and dining options, the main attraction is plenty of pingpong tables for those looking to do more than just watch.
Triona’s Third Ave.
- Address: 192 Third Ave., New York, NY
- Phone: 646-448-4671
- Hours: Open daily, 11 a.m.-2 a.m.
- An Irish-themed sports bar with plenty of screens, pub fare on the menu and an assortment of brews and cocktails.
Top tips for betting on tennis
Tennis is a fun and entertaining sport that can be a blast to bet on. While it’ll take some time for those entirely new to the sport to get up to speed, the effort is well worth it. Begin by studying the players and odds for upcoming events. When you have a good feel for that, consider the following three tennis betting strategies before placing your wagers.
- Dig deeper than seeds: The higher seeds are where they are for a reason and deserve to be respected. That said, you can’t solely make your predictions based on seeding. You need to take the time to look at things like recent form. An unseeded player who is entering the tourney on a hot streak could pull off the upset, while a top talent who is rolling could be one to bank on.
- Use history as a guide: The tours make regular stops, each of which has its own specific playing surface. Take the time to review the results from past events. Some players thrive in certain conditions and struggle in others. Digging out this information is key for tennis betting.
- Find the best prices: If your research is done and you’re ready to bet, take the time to hit one more step: line shop. There are often ticks of difference that you can find by looking around. It may not seem like much at first glance, but it absolutely adds up over the long run. Make line shopping a key part of your overall tennis handicapping routine.
After you have all of the basics down, you can begin expanding your process. Among the additional items to look at are various stats and player head-to-head records for current, future and common opponents. Additionally, there are free resources that you can find online. Get some sources you trust, and lean on them for additional insight.
Tennis Grand Slam record holders
The Grand Slam events are where the legends of the sport are made. It should come as no surprise that the top of the charts is filled with some of the best players that have ever graced the court. Let’s begin by looking at the top Grand Slam winners on the men’s side.
- 20 — Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic
- 14 — Pete Sampras
- 12 — Roy Emerson
- 11 — Rod Laver and Bjorn Borg
Over on the women’s side, it’s the same story. The most frequent winners of the biggest events read like a who’s who of tennis excellence.
- 24 — Margaret Court
- 23 — Serena Williams
- 22 — Steffi Graf
- 19 — Helen Wills
- 18 — Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova
For the individual events, certain players have just dominated over the course of their careers. What’s considered the Open Era of tennis stretches back to 1968. Here are the top winners at the four slams since that point.
- Australian Open: Novak Djokovic, 9; Serena Williams, 7
- French Open: Rafael Nadal, 13; Chris Evert, 7
- Wimbledon: Roger Federer, 8; Martina Navratilova, 9
- US Open: Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras and Roger Federer with 5 each; Chris Evert and Serena Williams with 6 each
Whenever one of the slams rolls around, there’s a good chance that something special is going to be on tap. Now that legal sports betting is available in New York, the excitement factor of these events — and every other ATP and WTA tour stop — will likely continue to rise.