Entain has released its latest trend report, which identifies tennis betting as a potential market worth attention for operators.
The report reveals that last year's Australian Open attracted over one million viewers, making it the most-watched Grand Slam tennis event in history. This sustained interest is expected to continue until 2025, referred to in the report as the "Happy Grand Slam."
This sport is currently the fifth most popular in Entain's global brand portfolio, with operations spanning the UK, USA, Spain, and Brazil.
Despite the time zone differences with the USA and other countries, the Australian Open is still considered the most popular tournament on the tour. However, longer match durations and larger betting amounts offset this difference.
Other popular tournaments include the US Open and the French Open, the latter even more popular than Wimbledon. This is due to clay court matches being longer than grass court matches, thus offering more betting opportunities.
In fact, in-play betting is the most popular form of tennis betting, with 90% of Entain's tennis bets being placed during matches. In terms of in-play betting, tennis is now the second most bet-on sport in the UK and the USA, only behind football and basketball. Moreover, Entain's data shows that tennis has outperformed football in the USA for three years.
Worth noting: At the 2025 Barcelona International Consumer Electronics Show (ICE), Entain CEO Gavin Isaacs delivered a keynote speech outlining the company's ten guiding principles for success.
Entain attributes this appeal to the volatility of momentum, with players trying to use their understanding of the game to predict outcomes. The report explains that "momentum refers to which player is in control at any point during the match," and "the mentally draining aspect of the sport" is a key factor in determining outcomes.
Further statistics show that 60% of Entain's tennis bets are placed on men's events, partly because men's matches are longer (men's matches are best of five sets, while women's are best of three).
However, with the retirement of famous tennis stars like Roger Federer and Andy Murray, and the growing global interest in female players, including Alina Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek at the 2025 Australian Open, and American players Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula, these statistics may change.
To accommodate this, Entain plans to develop more in-play options for its tennis bettors.
