History of Women's Tennis
The modern tennis game traces its roots to the initiatives of Harry Gem and Augurio Perera between 1859 and 1865. The duo tried to develop a game that combined the elements of pelota and racquet and played on a lawn in England. By 1872, the first tennis club in the world was established.
Although it was first played in England, it also became popular in different parts of Europe, including France. For example, the French Championships was hosted from 1891 until 1925. During this time, this was only open to the club members.
Women's tennis was also first played at the 1990 and 1908 Olympics. But the women's doubles game was only hosted in 1920 for the Antwerp Games.
Among the first female tennis players, Suzanne Lenglen was one of the most successful. She won six titles, including wins at the Wimbledon and the Internationaux de France.
However, it was only with the establishment of the women's tennis association or the WTA in the 1970s that the game gained widespread recognition.
The WTA and Women's Tennis
The Women's Tennis Association or the WTA is the main organiser of women's professional tennis. It supervises the women's tour and ensures that the players' welfare is protected. The organisation was founded by Billie Jean King in 1973 and traces its roots to the initial Virginia Slims competition sponsored by Philip Morris.
This tennis association initially featured nine members called the 'Original 9'. Today, the women's association counts more than 2,500 players from nearly 100 countries.
Why You Should Bet on Women's Tennis
When it comes to betting on tennis, the men's game often comes into the picture. Well, the interest and enthusiasm of bettors and fans are understandable. In the men's game, there are just so many exciting story arcs and rivalries that you cannot miss.
There's an ongoing debate in many tennis circles on the 'greatest player of all time' or GOAT among the male tennis players. In these discussions, the names of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer dominate, and their race to win the most number of slams is the primary topic.
Also, there are exciting tournaments in the men's circuit, including the grand slams from the Australian Open to the US Open and the Masters events. There are some colourful names, too, that add spice to the men's game, like Andy Murray, Daniil Medvedev, and Alexander Zverev.
Although the men's game is exciting with its rock star names and rivalries, the women's circuit offers plenty of opportunities that you don't want to miss as well.
Here are some of the best reasons why you should also consider betting on the WTA right now.
There's Greater Parity in the Women's Game
Compared to the men's circuit, the WTA tour is proud to say that it enjoys more parity. When we say parity, it means that women's tennis is more equal or at least competitive in its matches across slams and tier events.
If you review the results of the women's circuit in the last 20 years, you'll find that there's an exciting competition among female tennis players with a few breakout stars that challenge the domination of elite women players.
Let's take the case of winners in the grand slams. In the last five years, the four grand slams for ATP have been dominated by Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, a consistent winner of the French Open, and Roger Federer who always dazzles on grass and the Wimbledon.
Here's one amazing statistic about the men's game for you: 57 of the past 69 grand slams have been won by the three players! Every time the French Open arrives, the talks focus on Nadal dominance. And when it comes to grass, Federer's name is always on the mix.
By contrast, different women won in the same time span. Yes, Serena Williams is the most dominant name with her 23 slams, but there are other players who step up to the challenge. Some of the other grand slam winners are Maria Sharapova, Justine Henin, Naomi Osaka, Ashleigh Barty, and Caroline Wozniacki.
Since 2020, six different women have won the slams! This shows that the women's circuit is more competitive and exciting for fans and bettors. So, does this affect sports betting on the WTA tours?
Greater parity in the game offers more excitement and plenty of match betting opportunities for bettors and tennis fans. For example, if there is intense competition in grand slam events or smaller tournaments, then there's a better chance that an underdog can pull off an upset.
As well known, betting sites offer bigger payouts for the bettor who wagers on the underdog. In short, women's tennis betting markets are more competitive since players are almost even, and it's challenging to determine a favourite for individual games.
Many Betting Sites Push Women's Tennis Through Generous Bonuses
Yes, the men's tour gets the attention of tennis sports betting. But the WTA's low popularity actually benefit the sports bettors.
To boost the popularity of women tennis, many sportsbooks today offer generous bonuses and free bets to draw bettors to follow and bet on tennis tournaments. It is now common among operators to offer a free £10 bet, cashback and boosted odds on top of the standard welcome bonus.
As a bettor, you can get better deals by comparing the offers and promotions of bookmakers that accept bets on women tennis. Fortunately, Betpack is here to help you pick reliable UK online bookmakers list easily. You can quickly see our list and compare the best sports bet bonuses.
Women's Tennis is Accessible and Widely Covered
Tennis is one global sport that boasts one of the greatest gender parity in terms of prize money, cable TV coverage, and popularity. There is no denying the fact that women players in tennis are given better opportunities compared to women in other sports. All grand slams pay equal prize money for men and women.
Also, it's one of the few sports that have produced players that became household names and pop culture icons. The world of tennis has the sister Williams and the stylish Maria Sharapova. And who can deny the star of the early 2000s, Anna Kournikova?
As such, the game is also widely accessible, giving tennis bettors plenty of opportunities to play tennis bets and potentially win big. You now have cable TV, talk shows, sports programs, and even social media videos that revolve around the top women players.
Betting sites, too, are doing their share in covering the game more extensively. Aside from listing the available betting markets and competitive odds, most tennis bookies now carry helpful tools and resources to help bettors. For example, you will find bookies that offer live streaming, betting guides and tips, odds calculator, and tennis news coverage.
Also, many websites feature a mobile app that lets bettors access the markets, scores and news anytime using their mobile devices. Since it's now widely covered, it's easier to follow the game, track the tennis season, and bet on match outcomes. You can also check our list of the best sports betting apps to find top betting websites with great mobile features.
Women Matches are Competitive, Often Unpredictable
If you are looking for a challenge and some unpredictability in results, then you should pick the women's tour. Compared to men's tennis, the female's game is less dependent on the service game. This makes the matches in major tournaments more competitive. For example, this circuit has more upsets compared to the predictability of a tennis match in ATP.
This competitive nature of the game during the Davis Cup, the Challenge Tour or even the WTA finals is perfect for in play sports betting. If you are a smart tennis bettor, you can always capitalise on the shifts in break points and momentum in play.
However, it takes plenty of skill and some luck to see if the player is about to break serve, start a rally, and trigger a huge turnaround. Luckily, you can check our tennis betting guides to learn some expert tips that will help you along the way.
Enjoy the Same Betting Markets for All Tournaments
Men's tennis is often one of the showpieces of top sportsbooks. As such, many leading bookies offer their customers diverse betting markets like handicap bets, outright betting, and even in play betting.
Thanks to the growing popularity of women tennis, many sportsbooks now offer the same betting markets for fans and bettors. Today, you can now enjoy outright tournament betting, moneyline or even live betting. In these markets, the leading sportsbooks feature competitive odds and a host of generous bonuses, too, to get youd.
