Tennis is a two-player sport with no draw, and a single match produces several numbers you can bet on: the winner, the set score and the total games. That makes it useful for accumulators and live betting. The rules that catch people out are about matches that don’t finish, so this page covers the markets first and then explains in detail how retirements are settled.
Scoring in one paragraph
A game is won by the first player to four points with a two-point lead (15, 30, 40, game, with deuce at 40–40). A set is won by the first player to six games with a two-game lead, and a tie-break is played at 6–6. ATP and WTA tour matches are best of three sets. Men’s singles at the four Grand Slams are best of five. Since 2022, all four Slams have settled a deciding set at 6–6 with a first-to-10 tie-break. For total-games markets, a tie-break counts as one game, so a 7–6 set contributes 13 games.
Match winner
This is the simplest bet on the 8XBET tennis menu. A ₦10,000 stake on a 1.30 favourite returns ₦13,000 if the favourite wins. Short prices are common in early rounds, when top seeds play qualifiers, and that is why many Nigerian punters pair a favourite with another selection in an accumulator. Remember that each short leg still carries a real chance of an upset. A 1.30 price implies roughly a 77% chance of winning, not a certainty.
Set betting
Set betting asks you to predict the exact score in sets. A best-of-three match has four possible outcomes: 2–0 or 2–1 to either player. A best-of-five match has six: 3–0, 3–1 or 3–2 to either player. The prices are much higher than match-winner odds because you have to get the margin right. A favourite at 1.30 to win the match might be around 1.90 to win in straight sets. Set betting works well on 8XBET when you expect a close contest but still have a view on who wins, for example backing the favourite to win 2–1.
Game handicaps
Game handicaps adjust the total games each player has won. Take a favourite at −4.5 games in a match that finishes 6–4, 3–6, 6–2.
- Favourite’s games: 6 + 3 + 6 = 15
- Underdog’s games: 4 + 6 + 2 = 12
- Margin: 3 games
The favourite won the match, but the 3-game margin falls short of 4.5, so the −4.5 bet loses. The underdog at +4.5 wins: 12 + 4.5 = 16.5, which is more than 15. This market suits matches where you think the outsider will keep the scoreline close without winning. The idea is the same as football’s Asian handicap, but tennis handicaps are counted in games rather than goals.
Total games
In the same match, 15 + 12 = 27 games were played, so an over 22.5 ticket wins. Totals depend on serving strength. Two big servers on grass are likely to hold serve repeatedly and play tie-breaks, which pushes the total up. A strong clay-courter against a weaker opponent on a slow court can produce a 6–1, 6–2 scoreline of only 15 games. Our over/under guide covers the general logic of totals.
The retirement rule: three common versions
Players retire through injury or illness more often in tennis than in most other sports, and bookmakers do not agree on how to settle bets when it happens. These three versions are the most common:
| Version | What happens to a match-winner bet if a player retires |
|---|---|
| Match must be completed | Bet is void and the stake is returned, whatever the score |
| One set completed | Bet stands if at least one full set was finished; void if not |
| Ball struck / player advances | Bet stands once play starts; the player who goes through is the winner |
Take a match where Player X leads 6–3, 2–1 when the opponent retires. Under the first version, a ticket on X is void. Under the second, a set was completed, so the X ticket wins. Under the third, X advances and the ticket wins. A bet on the retiring player loses under the second and third versions and is refunded under the first.
Other markets have rules of their own. A bet whose result was already decided before the retirement usually stands: a first-set winner bet on X has already been settled as a winner. Undecided bets are usually voided. In this example only 12 games had been played, so an over 22.5 bet could not yet have won and would normally be voided. An over that had already passed its line before the retirement is a settled winner under most rules. A walkover, where the match never starts, is void everywhere. Read 8XBET’s tennis rules before you rely on any of these, because the version a bookmaker uses can turn a loss into a refund.
How surfaces change prices
- Hard courts (Australian Open, US Open, most of the tour) are the middle ground, and results there follow overall form most reliably.
- Clay (the spring European swing ending at Roland-Garros) is slow with a high bounce. It rewards long rallies and fitness, and breaks of serve are more common, so handicaps and totals can swing.
- Grass (a short season around Wimbledon) is fast and low. Big servers gain an edge, tie-breaks are common and upsets on serve are easier to pull off.
A player’s ranking reflects results across every surface. Before you back someone, look at their record on the surface they are about to play on.
When matches are on in WAT
Nigeria is on WAT (UTC+1) all year. During the European clay season and Wimbledon, that is the same clock time as London or one hour behind Paris, so European day sessions fall during the Nigerian working day. Australian Open day sessions start around midnight to 1 am WAT. US Open night sessions start around midnight WAT and often run past 3 am. The tour runs almost year-round, so 8XBET usually lists tennis at most hours of the day. That makes live betting possible, but live scores and prices can lag behind the actual play.
FAQ
Is a tie-break counted as one game or seven points?
It counts as one game in total-games and handicap markets. Some bookmakers have separate tie-break markets, such as “Will there be a tie-break”, that settle on whether one is played.
What happens if a match is moved or postponed?
Tennis bets generally stand if the match is completed within a stated window, often until the end of the tournament, even if it moves to another day or court.
Set a limit before you start betting. Our responsible gambling page has tools and help lines.
