Singles vs Doubles Tennis Betting Guide

Tennis betting is one of the most exciting things you can do because every single point can change the dynamic of an entire match. 

From the major Grand Slams all the way to the ATP and WTA competitions, tennis has plenty to offer people who like to predict winners, analyze the players’ performance, and just love the sport.   

While most tennis enthusiasts tend to bet on singles matches, which see a solo player take on another, betting on doubles gives you a totally different experience. You just need to know the different tactics, tennis betting markets, and aspects when placing your bets.  

Stick around to learn more about singles vs doubles in this tennis betting guide.  

What Is Singles Tennis Betting? 

Singles tennis is easily the most popular form of the game, where a single player takes on a single opponent, one player on either side of the court. Some of the most famous examples of singles tennis competitions include: 

• ATP Tour men’s singles 

• WTA Tour women’s singles 

• Grand Slam singles  

• Olympic singles  

When you’re looking at betting on singles, you are generally looking to see how well a particular player is doing, whether they are a big hitter and their playing style, and how they play on certain surfaces. For example, a player who has a massive serve may be facing off against a player that struggles against strong servers.  

What Is Doubles Tennis Betting? 

Doubles tennis pits a team of two players against an opposing team of two. Together, the pairs can combine their efforts to win points and entire games. These matches feature heavily in major tournaments like:  

• Wimbledon 

• US Open  

• French Open 

• Australian Open 

Unlike singles tennis, you can’t simply analyze how well an individual player is performing, as the level of cooperation between two partners is equal, if not more important.  

A good singles player won’t necessarily excel in doubles, and different skills are required, such as rapid movement and excellent anticipation at the net.  

Singles vs Doubles in tennis 

Despite the overall rules of tennis remaining the same, betting on singles vs. doubles requires a different approach. 

The number of players will change your strategy. The biggest difference you will encounter when looking to bet on tennis is the fact that singles only feature two players, while doubles have four.  

Betting on singles means you’ll have to research:  

• Recent form of both individuals. 

• Fitness of the players. 

• Styles of play.  

• Court surface. 

• Head-to-head statistics for both players. 

However, when betting on doubles, four people are at play. Two of those players can be the worst individually but combine for an excellent team partnership and outplay a team with two excellent singles stars with poor chemistry. 

Player form and team chemistry are also worth noting. Doubles tennis betting means you need to examine the team rather than just individuals. You need to be in sync with your partner and be able to perform calmly under pressure.  

Factors to consider when betting on doubles are: 

1. Has the partnership been together for a while? 

2. What has their record been like as a team?  

3. How do they communicate?  

4. How well do their skill sets compliment each other?  

Even two talented singles players might not fare well as a doubles partnership if they haven’t practiced or developed that crucial teamwork.  

Popular Singles Tennis Betting Markets 

The singles match provides you with quite a variety of markets to bet on. 

Match Winner – this is the most basic and easy to understand tennis bet and involves picking which player will win the match. Let’s say Coco Gauff is to win, Naomi Osaka is to win. This type of betting market is suitable for beginners due to its simplicity.  

Correct Score – a correct score bet requires you to pinpoint the exact outcome of a match. This would include bets like: -2-0 sets -2-1 sets-3-0 sets (in Grand Slam men’s singles). While this bet offers potentially higher payouts, it is also more challenging due to the precision required.  

Total Games – in this betting market, you are wagering on the total number of games that will be played within a match, rather than on who will win the match itself.  

Some examples of this would be the over/under a set number of games, will the total number of games go beyond a specific count? A closely contested match between two closely rated opponents might be an excellent choice for a bet that the match will go over a certain number of games.  

Set Betting – Set betting allows you to bet on the winners of individual sets or sometimes the final set score.  

Examples include: Novak Djokovic to win the first set and Jannik Sinner to win the second set. A bet like this requires a strong understanding of a player’s initial approach to matches.  

Popular Doubles Tennis Betting Markets  

Betting on doubles is quite different to singles betting, and the market differs considerably. Doubles Match Winner – like singles, this bet involves choosing which of the two teams you believe will win the match.  

When assessing a doubles team, you need to assess their past record as a pair, their win rate of the partnership, the experience in doubles tournaments, and compatibility of the players. 

Total Games – with the presence of strong serving partnerships, doubles matches often feature rapid progression in terms of games. You will find bets on over/under a set number of games and whether the total number of games would go beyond a set count. The strong serves found within most professional doubles matches can create a great over/under game for you, as breaks are less common.  

Set Betting – similar to the single game, you can also place a bet on which team will win the correct number of sets to take home the match victory. Example would include team A to win 2-0, team B to win 2-1. A bet on the correct score requires a knowledge of how a partnership performs when faced with pressure. 

Factors to consider when betting on singles tennis 

To bet on tennis successfully, you don’t necessarily need to place your money on the biggest star. There are several other factors you need to be taking into account:  

Court Surface 

Tennis is played on a number of different surfaces, and these surfaces benefit players in many ways. Different players have their favourites, with the following being generally observed:  

• Hard courts have players with a more all-round game.  

• Clay court usually benefits defensive, strong, enduring players 

• Grass courts traditionally favours the player with a powerful serve. 

Recent Form 

A player’s most recent performance will give you a good indication as to how they’re feeling. It could be their confidence and how they perform in the present moment. Keep an eye on the win-loss record, strength of recent opponents, any tournament performance and player injury history. The top players in the world won’t necessarily be the best value when it comes to bets.  

The history between players when they’ve faced off previously is useful in singles betting. Some players match well up against one another as the other’s playing style presents particular challenges. This information should be considered as only part of your singles bet. 

Factors to consider when betting on doubles tennis 

Different approaches to betting for doubles require a slightly different approach as player form is not the most important element.  

Team Experience 

Experienced doubles pairings tend to perform well because they have learned how to move, what to do, and how each player’s actions and movements can complement the others. A partnership which has played many games together will find it much easier to coordinate their efforts.  

Serve & Return Strategy 

While an aggressive serve is a weapon in singles and doubles alike, a powerful serve is arguably even more of an asset in doubles tennis. Doubles teams with a killer serve can often protect their own service games and keep opponents on the defensive. Similarly, an opponent’s return ability becomes extremely important, as creating breaks can swing tight games or matches.  

Net Aggression 

Doubles have significantly more time on the net than singles play. Doubles is basically won or lost at the net. An attacking presence and rapid reaction time can create a great advantage on the net.  

Singles or Doubles Tennis?  

If you’re a beginner to tennis betting, placing your wager on singles is a lot simpler to start with, as there are only two people involved. You just need to keep track of their respective form and rankings and analyze their playing styles.  

Doubles, on the other hand, require you to take a deeper dive and look at how partnerships have been performing. This means that doubles are more of an intricate bet.  

Bet on Tennis  

Singles and doubles tennis betting can be exciting in different ways and you need a slightly different betting strategy for each. When you are betting on singles, you need to take an in-depth look at individual form, health, and the playing styles of the two players involved.  

When you bet on doubles, on the other hand, you need to take teamwork and partnership skills into account. Regardless of your choice, you will find that it is essential to research each match carefully and know the game before you place any wagers.  

The key to successful tennis betting is consistent effort, understanding the players, and analyzing all available information to make intelligent decisions so you can benefit every time. Put your tennis betting skills to the test. Check out all the tennis betting odds on Bet.co.za and find all the best international tournaments.