Tennis betting popularity booming in 2025, according to Entain report

Imago

Entain has published its most recent trend report, in which the iGaming conglomerate details tennis as the fifth most important sport across its worldwide ventures. 

The Ladbrokes Coral owner oversees betting enterprises in several key markets, including the UK, US, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil and Spain. According to the entity’s latest trend analysis, tennis is ranked highly among bettors within many of them coming from the above regions. 

Check out the best UK bookmakers to claim free bets worth up to £850!

This data correlates with attendance statistics from the opening tennis Grand Slam of the year — the 2025 Australian Open — as 1.2 million onlookers visited Melbourne Park throughout January’s three-week affair. Fresh spectator records were set during the tournament, with the main draw accruing over 1.1 million fans. In addition, the Australian Open’s ‘opening week’, which typically presents tame action compared to later rounds, saw a new attendance record. 

While the Australian Open attracts more in-person viewers than any other tennis tournament, the US Open welcomes the most bettors. According to Entain’s updated 2025 figures, the US-hosted competition is followed by the French Open and Wimbledon in terms of betting popularity – with longer matches resulting in an increased number of bets being placed. 

Betting preference statistics accumulated by Entain support the idea that extended games garner increased betting traction too. The company’s report attributes 60% of the sport’s bets to men’s events – with male tennis matches played over a ‘best of five rounds’ rather than the ‘best of three’ seen on the women’s side. 

Entain notes that ‘in-play’ bets represent the most popular betting market for tennis punters, accounting for 90% of tennis wagers on the firm’s brands. Tennis’ growing acclaim among Entain bettors is further evidenced by the sport surpassing football in the US for the third year running. Moreover, Entain’s in-house leaderboard positions tennis in-play betting volume second in the UK and US, only behind football and basketball; respectively.

The aforementioned Australian Open attendance figures place weight behind the idea that tennis is growing as a global sport. Steve Dimopoulos, the Victorian minister for tourism, sport and major events spoke of the success enjoyed by 2025’s debut major tennis event:

“This year’s Australian Open has broken records with over a million tennis fans flocking to Melbourne Park to witness the world’s best tennis players, and many millions more watching at home as we showcase Victoria to the world.”

Dimopoulos’ final point summarises the current standing of tennis among Entain bettors – with millions of bettors flocking to back the best of the best in action. 

The British betting group also explained that: “Momentum is about which player is in control at any point of the match” in its study, and that bettors tend to predict the final result based on in-game swings. Moreover, Entain commented on “the mentally draining aspect of the sport” favouring athletes who carry a strong mindset. The sports betting and gaming group determined that bettors base significant wagering decisions on what they view as mental fortitude or weakness during the course of a match.

Entain plans to bolster its tennis services and facilities, in future, to reflect demand for the sport’s markets. 

Keep an eye on FIRST for the best tennis betting tips in the weeks ahead.