Betting Markets
Like any big sporting event, the Australian Open is ripe with betting possibilities. Here are just some of the markets that will be provided by the UK’s top bookmakers.
Tournament/Match Winner
Outright tournament winner bets are precisely what they sound like — you’ll be putting money on who you think will be lifting a trophy at the end of the extravaganza. Of course, if your clairvoyance doesn’t quite stretch that far, you can stick to simply betting on individual match winners.
Each Way
Each ways are an interesting variation on outright winner bets, as they comprise two bets in one. You’ll be wagering that a particular player will either win the trophy, or come in as the runner up.
Set Winner
Predicting the winner of a set—for example, the first set—is very popular with tennis bettors. It can be a tantalising market, as outsider players may just snatch the occasional set from a top-ranked legend, providing a good return on long odds.
Correct Scores
It may seem like a tall order to predict the scores of sets and matches, but that’s why the odds for these betting markets can be so lucrative. Get lucky, and it’ll be the betting equivalent of serving an ace.
Handicap Betting
Handicaps keep odds more appealing when a stronger player is matched with a weaker one. Bookies may apply game and set handicaps, so look out for those if you enjoy this market.
Over/Under
Not quite as precise as a correct score bet, the over/under market sees punters betting on whether the sets or games in a match will exceed certain numbers suggested by the bookie.
In-Play Betting
Convenience is everything with online sportbooks, and that’s why the UK’s top betting sites let you place bets well after a match has begun. Not only does live, in-play betting make watching tennis an even more exciting experience, but you can also exploit the shifting odds to your advantage. For example, the odds on a top player winning may be unattractively short before a match. However, if they lose a set the odds may abruptly lengthen — meaning that if you place a bet now, and the player makes a comeback to win the match, you’ll get a bigger return than if you’d bet on them to start with.
Cash Out
Say you’re watching tennis live and you can see that one of your bets isn’t likely to come good. What then? Well, with the cash out option, you can actually bail on the bet before the game or match is over. You’ll get some of the money back on the bet, based on your initial wager and the odds at the time of cash out. Obviously this won’t be as much as you’d get if you’d won the bet, but it’s still a better alternative to an outright loss.
Accumulators
Acca bets are all the rage with sports bettors, and it’s easy to see why. Properly known as accumulators, they let you bundle together several bets on the same slip. The upshot here is that, if all your bets win, you’ll be paid out an amount based on all the odds being multiplied together — a very lucrative deal for the punter.
It should be noted, though, that the acca will lose if even one of your selections doesn’t come good. But all is not necessarily lost. By opting for acca insurance, you’ll have your wager returned to you as free bets if your acca misses out by a single failed selection.
Bonuses
A good welcome bonus can be a great way to get the ball rolling when you join a betting site. But what kinds of sign-up incentives can you look forward to? Let’s have a glance.
Matched Deposit Bonuses
With this kind of bonus, the bookmaker will match a certain percentage of your initial deposit up to a certain maximum limit. If, for example, the matched deposit bonus is advertised as ‘100% up to £150’ and you deposit £30, you’ll be given another £30 to bet with. There will likely be wagering requirements attached, and you may be expected to bet on certain minimum odds within a strict deadline, so check the Ts and Cs before settling on an offer.
Free Bets
The phrase ‘free bets’ is bound to excite any punter. The good news is these do exist, and are generally offered on the condition that you first make a qualifying bet. So, a site may provide you with £10 in free bet credits if you wager £10 on the stipulated odds. As ever, check those terms and conditions so you’re aware of what’s required.
Promotions
You’ve signed up, collected your welcome bonus and made a few bets. What then? Well, the best UK bookies will carry on keeping you sweet with regular promotions like these:
Money Back Offers
Made a winner prediction or scoreline bet on a particular match in the Australian Open, but things haven’t quite worked out how you wanted? All is not lost if there’s a money back promo in place. With these, a losing wager is returned to you in the form of free bets. Of course, there’ll usually be a cap on how much you’re eligible to get back, but it’s certainly better than being completely out of pocket!
Enhanced Odds
Betting on a favourite to win may carry a lower risk, but the rewards are lower too. Except when enhanced odds are in place. These promotions are often run for big events like Australian Open, and will artificially boost the odds on tempting betting markets to encourage punters to get stuck in.
Payment Methods
Everyone has their own preferred way to bank with betting sites, and the best bookies will have all the main options on offer, such as:
- Visa and Mastercard debit cards
- PayPal
- Neteller
- Skrill
- Paysafecard
- Bank transfer
Mobile Betting
Many punters these days like having the freedom to have a flutter whenever they want, wherever they are. Mobile betting sites in the UK make it easy. You’ll be able to simply browse over to the URL on your phone or tablet and place your bets just as you would on a computer. Alternatively, many top UK bookies have their own native apps which can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play. These apps let you bet with a few taps and minimal effort. Plus, they’ll keep you in the loop on the latest promotions with regular push notifications.
Betting Tips for the Australian Open
Research can make or break your Australian Open bets. Of course, luck plays a big part and there are never any guarantees with gambling. But putting in a bit of time to look into the players can help you make informed predictions on how things might go.
The world tennis rankings aren’t much good to bettors, as they only give a very general lay of the land overview of the sport. Even the greatest, most famous names have been toppled by low-ranking players and unseeded wildcards. What you really want to know is the recent form of each player. Have they been at the top of their game in recent matches and tournaments? Are they recovering from injuries or career slumps?
Factor in the court type, too. The Australian Open is a hard court tournament, which brings out the best in some players and the worst in others. That matters more than how generally ‘good’ a player is. Remember to check head-to-head statistics to see when opponents have met before and what the outcome has been. And, if you’re going to have a go at split-second in-play betting, you’ll want to research how various players cope with stresses and mid-match setbacks, like broken serves.
The Other Major Tennis Tournaments
As we mentioned above, the Australian Open is the first of the tennis Grand Slams, chronologically speaking. It takes place at Melbourne Park in January, and paves the way for the three other Grand Slams:
- The French Open, aka Roland Garros (May, Stade Roland Garros)
- Wimbledon (July, All England Club)
- The US Open (August, USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center)
What other tournaments can tennis fans look forward to betting on, other than the hallowed Grand Slams? Here’s a selection of the other biggies:
- BNP Paribas Open (March, Indian Wells Tennis Garden)
- The ATP Finals (November, Pala Alpitour Stadium)
- The WTA Finals (October Shenzhen Bay Sports Center)
- The Davis Cup (begins February, various venues)
- The Fed Cup (begins February, various venues)
- Tennis at the Summer Olympics
The History of the Australian Open
The Australian Open began life as the Australasian Championships, an event which made its debut in 1905. It didn’t have the easiest path to world renown — in the days before jet travel, the far-flung nature of a competition set in Australia meant that many international players simply didn’t want to trek over to take part. Of course, things got a lot easier as the 20th Century went on, and the Australian Open is now one of the jewels of the tennis crown, attracting record attendances.
Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams have held sway at the Australian Open throughout the modern era, winning eight times and seven times respectively. It’s not always about legends dominating lesser mortals, though. The good news for bettors is that underdogs often come good here as well. Those with long memories may recall the infamous moment in 1984 when the great Martina Navratilova had her incredible 74-match winning streak halted at the Australian Open by a certain Helena Sukova. Beating the odds changed her life immediately. “I had like three press conferences every day after that,” Sukova said. “Before that, I barely had one.”
A similarly seismic upset came in 2016 when the usually invincible Serena Williams was toppled in the final by Angelique Kerber, who was seeded 7th and shocked the bookies by taking Serena down in three sets and nabbing the trophy.
All Set to Bet on the Australian Open?
If all this talk of the Australian Open has you itching to have a bet or two, then now’s the time. Compare our list of the best betting sites in the UK around right now and sign up to get wagering in moments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Restrict your betting to licensed betting sites, regulated by governing bodies, such as the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). The UKGC ensures that licence holders must follow strict regulatory guidelines: your funds will be held securely in an account separate from that of the operator or any other player, and you can also expect secure payments, with industry-standard data encryption in place. Of course, we only recommend licensed sportsbooks, so you can rest easy when you choose a bookie recommended on Compare.bet.
Yes. Tournaments are a great opportunity to place accumulator bets, especially early on in the competition when there’s a packed schedule. You can spread your bets over a day’s tennis, or even over the schedule for a week to try and land an attractive price. Of course, the higher the odds, the lower the likelihood of each outcome being successful, so make sure you do your research on form and matchups!
There’s no consensus best when it comes to odds on any sport. Bookmakers price competitively, which means that if you browse around, you’ll likely find the prices on offer are pretty similar. Prices change frequently too, so it’s hard to nail down which bookie offers the best price. Of course, it’s in your best interest to find the best value. While small margins won’t make much of a difference for single bets, these will add up over time and can make a huge difference for large accumulators. Your best bet is to find the market you wish to bet on and compare across our recommended bookies.
You’ll find plenty of sites and social media pages featuring tips from ‘expert tipsters’ that cover every tennis match worldwide. While there’s nothing necessarily wrong with following these tips, it’s important to remember that there’s no guarantee that your bet will win. Even the most successful tipster’s track record has no bearing on their future performance. We’d recommend doing your own research to avoid blindly following tips.
