Second only to football when it comes to betting, tennis is a sport which sees billions of euros bet on it each year. There are numerous events taking place through the year, with a number of tours – the elite WTA (women’s) and ATP (men’s) tours, the “feeder” leagues like the Challenger and ITF Futures tours, and there is even a thriving seniors’ circuit.

But how to bet on tennis and what are the safest betting strategies to adopt?

There are a range of markets from which to choose, with players given the option to bet “in-play” or before a match or tournament even starts. Some are more risky than others, so here are some safer options to consider.

Match Winner

This is simply a bet on which player will win the match. As with any form of betting on a single game, it can be difficult to make money betting on a heavy favourite because the odds will be very short. In the first round of the US Open, for example, 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams has been drawn against the world number 60, Poland’s Magda Linette. Few expect anything other than an easy Williams’ win, so the odds will be priced accordingly.

It can, however, be worth knowing a player’s form and whether they play well on a particular surface, as the clay of Paris or the grass of Wimbledon can sometimes be a great leveler, enabling lesser players to pull off what, on paper, look like surprise results.

Winner of the overall tournament

Another popular bet is to predict the outcome of the overall tournament. Whilst this may seem difficult when a Grand Slam event can start with a field of 128 players, in reality only a handful can expect to win. The men’s game, for example, is currently dominated by three men – Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Roger Federer – and, for major events, nearly always one of them will lift the main prize.

The women’s tour, by contrast, is more open when it comes to Grand Slam events, and perhaps is best left alone by the novice bettor – the last 8 Grand Slam titles have been won by eight different women!

Set Betting

With set betting, you are wagering on the number of sets in a match, and the correct score. For example, Federer to beat Monfils by three sets to love, or Simona Halep to defeat Johanna Konta by two sets to one. Bear in mind that women play the best of three sets, and so do the men, outside the Grand Slam tournaments, when it is best of five.

This tennis betting strategy may not be a predictable as it first appears – one player could be theoretically stronger but, because of injury, or the wear and tear inflicted by playing on tour, the outcome of a match could be a lot closer than expected.

First (or subsequent) Set Winner

Many bookmakers will also allow bets on the outcome of individual sets. This works on a similar principle to match betting, with the crucial distinction being that you are betting on the outcome of a single set, and not the whole match. Again though, supporting a favourite will not get you good odds.

Gamblers can also opt for handicap betting, where bookmakers choose to adjust the odds against a favourite by handicapping them with a number of games or sets. And then there is Total Game betting, also known as overs and unders, where you are wagering on the number of games that will be played in a match.

However, these forms oftennis betting strategy require a degree of knowledge and experience, and are inherently riskier to make. Try the simpler bets first and, when you feel confident in your understanding of the sport, then you may want to graduate to the more advanced tennis betting strategies.