The popularity of tennis is undeniable, with more than 87 million people playing and following it. Hence betting on this highly-ranked individual sport is also well-liked. As for the professional tennis players, their number is well above 3,800.
Outright Winner Bet ExplainedAmong the various tennis betting opportunities, outright winner bets are a much-liked option, as it gives punters the chance to root for their favorite tennis players. As one may easily suppose, outright betting on tennis involves predicting the player to win a whole tournament, not just a single game. As opposed to match winner bets, this type of wager aims at selecting the champion of an entire competition. In the United States, outright bets are most commonly referred to as futures bets.
Furthermore, these long-term bets have the potential to bring decent winnings, if placed well ahead of the tournament’s start. Once it is a fact, odds might not be very attractive, especially on obvious favorites. In the current article, we are going to draw attention to tennis outright betting markets, their specifics, as well as some additional information on the main types of tennis tournaments to bet on.
Outright Winner Bet Explained
Outright betting markets are usually the first bets to be offered for every tennis event and are kept active throughout tournaments. Since tennis is neatly organized in different types of tournaments, outright betting is pretty popular. The various categories of competitions allow contenders to win ranking points and ultimately play their way up to the Grand Slams. Punters who are making their first steps in tennis betting are advised to pursue outright winner bets, as they are straightforward. However, winning an outright bet is not that easy to accomplish, as it requires in-depth research of many factors.
Bookmakers usually offer odds for each of the competing players in most of the major tournaments. Therefore, referring to statistics, head-to-head records, playing styles, and current form are essential to placing outright bets knowledgeably. As one might expect, favorites to win the tournaments are awarded lower odds in comparison to underdogs. However, it is worth noting that, usually, outright markets feature odds better than even money.
Other than the neat organization of the different tennis competitions, tennis bettors should note that most major tournaments are run on a knockout basis, and draws determine the opponents each player is going to face in the early stages. Thus, up-and-coming players are provided better chances to progress. The top-ranked tennis players are positioned in specific places in the draw to avoid playing against each other in the opening rounds.
Seeded players are those regarded to be the strongest ones. With that being said, it is a good idea for tennis punters to have a look at the opponents a certain player is scheduled to face to better estimate their chances of eventually winning the tournament.
Example of an Outright Winner Bet
To better illustrate the essence of outright betting, let us explore an example. Scheduled to begin in late June, and played over the course of two weeks, Wimbledon is an excellent example of one of the highest-ranking tennis tournaments, considered by many as the most prestigious one. Let us now see the outright winner odds offered for some of the key participants.
| Wimbledon Outright Winner | |
|---|---|
| Tennis Player | Odds |
| N. Djokovic | 2.10 |
| R. Nadal | 6.00 |
| M. Berrettini | 8.00 |
| C. Alcaraz | 8.50 |
| S. Tsitsipas | 10.00 |
| A. Zverev | 11.00 |
| R. Federer | 15.00 |
| D. Shapovalov | 15.00 |
As we can see from the table, the top player, favored to win Wimbledon, is awarded odds a bit higher than even money. With the grand tournament nearing, these odds are likely to go down. Even more so, if Djokovic performs up to the expectations, the associated price will drop further. Prices can fluctuate once the tournament is underway, reflecting the probability each player has to win the competition. The adjustments to the odds are made based on the players’ performance. The more matches a player wins, the more likely it is for odds to fall.
Therefore, betting on the outright winner of a tournament ahead of its start is more lucrative, yet related to smaller chances to win and considerable research of statistics. Conversely, betting at a later stage of tennis tournaments is less advantageous but the chances of success are greater. Apart from checking head-to-head records, playing style, and current form, punters are advised to explore further statistics regarding the scoring success of a plyer when surviving, the ability to retain composure in stressful situations, the defensive qualities, and so on.
Besides odds on the tournament winner, bookies also offer prices for the different stages of competitions. If we take as an example ATP Madrid, Spain, Men Singles, we may also bet on the following outright markets: ATP – Madrid 2022 Winning Half, ATP – Madrid 2022 – Stage of Elimination, ATP – Madrid 2022 Quarter 1/2/3/4 Winner, ATP – Madrid 2022 To Reach the Final, and ATP – Madrid 2022 Winning Quarter.
Types of Tennis Tournaments
Since the nature of Outright Winner bets involves wagering on the tennis player who punters believe will emerge victorious at the end of a competition, having a good grasp of the different types of tennis tournaments is of essential importance. World rankings of professional tennis players are based on their performance and the accumulated points in those tournaments. To advance in the hierarchy, tennis players are supposed to win as many matches as possible.
The popularity of the Grand Slam events in the world of tennis is undeniable, but what are the other tournaments that tennis players participate in? In the table below we have provided a visual summary of the different types of men’s and women’s tennis contests in ascending order, as well as the associations in charge of observing the rules of the sport.
While men’s singles and doubles events are overseen by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), the women’s singles and doubles events are supervised by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA). As far as the International Tennis Federation (ITF) is concerned, it is the governing body of world tennis, wheelchair tennis, and beach tennis.
| Men | Women | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| The International Tennis Federation (ITF) | The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) | The International Tennis Federation (ITF) | The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) |
| ITF Future Tour (designed to award players their first ranking points) | ITF Women’s World Tour (awards up to 150 ranking points ) | ||
| ATP Challenger Tour (serves as a transition from the ITF Future Tour to the ATP Tour and awards up to 125 ranking points) | WTA Challenger Series (awards up to 160 ranking points) | ||
| ATP Tour 250 (awards 250 ranking points) | WTA Premier (awards up to 470 ranking points) | ||
| ATP Tour 500 (awards 500 ranking points) | WTA Premier 5 (awards up to 900 ranking points) | ||
| ATP World Tour Masters 1000 (awards 1,000 ranking points) | WTA Premier Mandatory (awards up to 1,000 ranking points | ||
| ATP Finals (awards 1,500 ranking points) | WTA Finals (awards up to 1,500 ranking points) | ||
| The Grand Slams – Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, US Open (award 2,000 ranking points) | The Grand Slams – Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, US Open (award 2,000 ranking points) | ||
| Davis Cup (the most prominent team competition in men’s tennis; no world ranking points are awarded) | Fed Cup (the biggest team competition in women’s tennis; no world ranking points are awarded) | ||
Conclusion
Played throughout the year, tennis delivers an endless number of betting opportunities. The different formats of competitions allow tennis players to gather ranking points and climb up in the hierarchy. Starting from the lowest tier, the Futures Tour, up to the ultimate goal of every professional tennis player, the Grand Slams, punters are spoiled for choice.
Picking an overall winner of a tennis tournament is an exciting wager, with the four Grand Slam events getting the lion’s share of the betting action. Punters get to enjoy their betting for more than just a single game. As long as their favored tennis player is still in the competition, they stand a chance to be victorious. Ranking among the most popular types of tennis betting markets, outright betting is definitely worth exploring.