Entain is anticipating the upcoming US Open to be the most globally bet-on tennis major of all time on the back of “surging” interest in the sport.
The London-listed operator revealed tennis is now the second most popular in-play betting sport in both the UK and US, behind football and basketball, respectively.
In the US, the sport has seen more live bets than American football over the past three years.
Entain said around 90% of all tennis bets are placed in-play, although 2025 has come with a “notable rise” in pre-game staking.
“This shift reflects a broader diversification in fan behaviour and engagement, with pre-match interest climbing, especially during the first week of the major tournaments,” the operator added.
In terms of markets, match betting, current game winner and set winner account for 85% of all in-play stakes.
Game winner betting is also overtaking match betting as the most popular market, with Brazil cited as a high-growth market for the sport.
Entain said the US Open, which starts this weekend, is the operator’s most popular Grand Slam and will receive additional interest due to patriotic backing of a host of American stars.
This year, the Australian Open saw pre-game staking rise by 25% year on year, with live betting leaping by more than 50%.
The French Open, held between May and June, broke all previous Grand Slam betting records at Entain before Wimbledon delivered the highest betting volumes ever for a tournament.
On Wimbledon, Entain added: “Week one became the most bet-on Grand Slam week in company history. Pre-game staking rose by almost a fifth year on year and live staking by over a third, led by strong performance in Brazil, the US, UK and Spain.”
The operator noted the launch of its tennis bet builder, micro-markets and live bet tracking had all played a key role in engaging punters.
Michael Wood, Entain head of tennis, said: “Many anticipated a lull in tennis’ popularity following the retirement of icons like Federer, Nadal and Serena Williams, but the emerging rivalry between Sinner and Alcaraz is already beginning to echo those heights – and shows every sign of continuing for years to come.
“The women’s game presents a different narrative. Competition has intensified, upsets have been frequent and, as a result, betting interest is rising substantially due to a deeper and more even field.
“Tennis is on an upward trajectory. As the sport embraces data and micro-markets, we expect significant growth in flexibility and innovation – particularly for in-play betting.”
The post Entain: US Open to become the most bet-on tennis major in history first appeared on EGR Intel.
Ladbrokes and bwin parent says upcoming tournament is set to break all previous tennis betting records as fan engagement and product continues to develop
The post Entain: US Open to become the most bet-on tennis major in history first appeared on EGR Intel.