ATP and WTA tour betting guide
Eleven months a year, two tours and three surfaces: tennis rewards bettors who know the calendar.
Updated October 5, 2026
ATP and WTA tennis betting odds move with the surface, the format and the fitness of two individuals, with no teammate to hide a bad day. This page covers the men's and women's tours, the four Grand Slams and the markets that work best in tennis.
The tours and the calendar
The ATP (men) and WTA (women) tours run from January to November. The season opens on hard courts in Australia, moves to clay in spring, has a short grass swing in June and July, and returns to hard courts through the North American summer and the Asian and European indoor autumn. The four Grand Slams are the Australian Open, Roland-Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open. Below them sit the 1000-level events, then 500 and 250 tournaments, and the season-ending finals for the top eight.
Format and why it changes the odds
Most matches are best of three sets. Men's singles at the Grand Slams are best of five, which favours the stronger player: over a longer match, an upset needs to be sustained. A player with a 65 % chance of winning each set wins a best-of-three match roughly 72 % of the time and a best-of-five match more often still.
Tennis markets
- Match winner: the straight head-to-head bet.
- Set handicap: for example -1.5 sets, meaning a straight-sets win in best of three.
- Total sets: over 2.5 sets in best of three means the match goes the distance.
- Correct score in sets: 2-0, 2-1, 1-2, 0-2 (or up to 3-2 in best of five).
- Games handicap and total games are common elsewhere and depend on how strong each serve is.
How we price tennis
Tennis is a duel, so Nocturn Sport uses Elo ratings: each player's rating rises and falls with results against rated opponents. Elo gives the chance of winning a set, and from it we compute the whole match: winner, set handicap ±1.5, total sets and correct score, whether the format is best of three or best of five.
Here are the ATP and WTA matches currently open on Nocturn Sport:
| Time | Match | Competition | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zheng Wushuang – Lu Jia-JingLive | Suzhou Open | — | |
| Shi Han – Yang Yidi | Suzhou Open | 1.442.36 | |
| Katarina Zavatska – Darya Khamutsianskaya | Suzhou Open | 1.881.70 | |
| Donna Vekic – Iga Swiatek | China Open | 4.421.19 | |
| Alevtina Ibragimova – Rebecca Sramkova | Suzhou Open | 1.482.53 | |
| Wei Sijia – Kyoka Okamura | Suzhou Open | 1.781.79 | |
| Zhang Ruien – Tatiana Prozorova | Suzhou Open | — | |
| Andre Ilagan – Nikoloz Basilashvili | Rolex Shanghai Masters | — | |
| Hugo Gaston – Liam Draxl | Rolex Shanghai Masters | 1.711.87 | |
| Taro Daniel – Shintaro Mochizuki | Rolex Shanghai Masters | 1.442.35 | |
| Roman Safiullin – Alexis Galarneau | Rolex Shanghai Masters | 1.492.23 | |
| Xiao Linang – Federico Cina | Rolex Shanghai Masters | — |
All odds on nocturnsport.com →
Tennis-specific tips
- Surface specialists exist: a clay-courter's results on grass are poor evidence either way.
- Back-to-back weeks and long three-setters the night before drain players, especially in hot conditions.
- Retirement rules differ between bookmakers; read the rules on the sportsbook before you bet.
See also the tennis betting hub and the accumulator guide before you combine favourites. Prices on nocturnsport.com.
Frequently asked questions
Why are favourites shorter at the men's Grand Slams?
Five sets is a longer test: a lucky set or a hot serving streak is less likely to decide the match, so the better-rated player wins more often.
What does a -1.5 set handicap mean in tennis?
In a best-of-three match, the player must win in straight sets, 2-0. In best of five, -1.5 sets means winning 3-0 or 3-1.