The 5 Most Popular Tennis Tournaments
Tennis’s calendar is stacked with events, but only a handful pull in the record crowds, the billion-strong global TV audiences, and the heaviest betting volume year after year. For fans following the sport from Kuwait, five tournaments stand clear of the rest: the four Grand Slams and one unofficial “fifth major” that has outgrown almost everything except the majors themselves. Here’s what makes each one so popular, plus the betting markets that see the most action once the draw comes out.
None of these five events got popular by accident. Each one combines deep prize money, a full field of ranked players, and a surface or setting that gives it its own identity — which is exactly why the betting markets around them look different from one tournament to the next.
Why Tennis’s Biggest Events Draw Such Heavy Interest
Attendance figures, prize pools, and TV audiences point to the same handful of events every season — the four Grand Slam tournaments, plus the tour’s most prestigious non-major stop. All five share one trait that matters to bettors: deep fields, packed schedules, and markets that stay liquid from the first round to the final.
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1. Australian Open
The tennis season opens in Melbourne every January, and the Australian Open sets the tone for the year. First played in 1905, it’s the youngest of the four majors but has earned a reputation among players as the “Happy Slam” for its relaxed atmosphere and fan-friendly scheduling. Tennis Australia pushed the 2026 prize pool to a record A$111.5 million (roughly US$75 million), with each singles champion collecting A$4.15 million — a 19% jump on the year before. Played on hard courts at Melbourne Park, the tournament regularly pulls crowds well past the million mark across its three-week run, from qualifying through to the final.
Australian Open Infobox
| Location | Melbourne, Australia |
|---|---|
| Surface | Hard (outdoor) |
| Category | Grand Slam |
| Draw size | 128 (singles) |
| Dates | Mid-to-late January, annually |
| Prize pool | Rises most years; 2026 edition set a record at A$111.5 million (~US$75 million) |
| Market | Notes |
|---|---|
| Outright winner futures | Often placed before the draw is even confirmed |
| Match winner | On hard-court specialists coming off preseason form |
| Total games over/under | Best-of-five matches in the heat can run long |
2. Roland Garros (French Open)
Paris hosts the only Grand Slam played on red clay, and that surface changes everything about how the tournament is bet. Clay slows the ball and stretches rallies, which favors grinders and physically strong players over big servers, and tends to produce longer, more attritional matches than the other majors. Roland Garros introduced a final-set tie-break at 6‑6 back in 2022, ending the marathon deciding sets that once defined the event. Together with the other three majors, Grand Slam tennis pulled in a combined worldwide audience of almost 2 billion viewers and more than 3.36 million on-site fans in 2024 — a record season for the sport.
Roland Garros Infobox
| Location | Paris, France |
|---|---|
| Surface | Clay (outdoor) |
| Category | Grand Slam |
| Draw size | 128 (singles) |
| Dates | Late May to early June, annually |
| Format note | Final-set tie-break at 6-6 since 2022 |
Popular Betting Markets
| Market | Notes |
|---|---|
| Total games over/under | Pushed higher by long clay rallies |
| Handicap markets | On proven clay-court specialists |
| Set betting | Given the surface’s tendency for five-set grinders |
3. Wimbledon
No tournament carries more tradition than Wimbledon. Founded in 1877, it’s the oldest major and the only one still played on grass, with an all-white dress code and no sponsor branding allowed on Centre Court. The 2025 Championships drew a record 548,770 spectators through the gates, while BBC’s coverage topped 60 million streams online and the men’s final alone peaked above 8 million viewers. Grass rewards flat, fast serves and quick points at the net, and that shapes how bettors approach nearly every market at the event.
Wimbledon Infobox
| Location | London, England |
|---|---|
| Surface | Grass (outdoor) |
| Category | Grand Slam |
| Draw size | 128 (singles) |
| Dates | Late June to mid-July, annually |
| Attendance | Record set in 2025 at 548,770 |
Popular Betting Markets
| Market | Notes |
|---|---|
| First-set winner | Serve-dominant surface rewards fast starts |
| Ace count / hold-serve props | Built around big servers |
| Match winner | Favors servers and net-rushers over baseline grinders |
4. US Open
The season’s last major closes out the year in New York with the loudest atmosphere on tour. Played on hard courts at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the tournament leans into its night-session drama under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium, the largest tennis venue in the world. The 2025 edition offered a record US$90 million in total prize money, with singles champions taking home US$5 million each — the largest individual payout tennis has ever handed out. A year earlier, the US Open became the first Grand Slam to cross one million fans in a single edition.
US Open Infobox
| Location | New York, United States |
|---|---|
| Surface | Hard (outdoor) |
| Category | Grand Slam |
| Draw size | 128 (singles) |
| Dates | Late August to early September, annually |
| Prize pool | Record set in 2025 at US$90 million |
Popular Betting Markets
| Market | Notes |
|---|---|
| In-play / live betting | Late-night matches can swing fast |
| Match winner | Neutral hard courts where rankings hold up well |
| Handicap markets | In lopsided early-round matchups |
5. BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells) — The Unofficial Fifth Slam
Indian Wells isn’t a major, but it plays like one. The BNP Paribas Open is an ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 combined event held every March in the California desert, with a 96-player draw on both tours stretched over roughly two weeks — closer in scale to a Grand Slam than anything else on the calendar. It’s the best-attended tournament outside the four majors, drawing 493,440 fans in 2024 alone, and its 16,100-seat Stadium 1 is the second-largest permanent tennis venue in the world, behind only Arthur Ashe. Players have voted it their favorite non-major event on tour for a decade running, and the nickname “fifth Grand Slam” has stuck for good reason.
Indian Wells Infobox
| Location | Indian Wells, California, US |
|---|---|
| Surface | Hard (outdoor) |
| Category | ATP Masters 1000 / WTA 1000 |
| Draw size | 96 (singles, men’s and women’s) |
| Dates | March, annually |
| Attendance | Best-attended non-major event, 493,440 in 2024 |
Popular Betting Markets
| Market | Notes |
|---|---|
| Outright winner futures | Across the full 96-player field |
| First-round upset value bets | Flatter draw offers less seeding protection than a Slam |
| Match winner | Top-10 rivals meet earlier here than at the majors |
How Tennis Betting Markets Work Across These Tournaments
Every one of these five events shares the same core set of betting markets, even though the odds behind them shift with the surface, the draw size, and the round.
Most fans in Kuwait follow these tournaments the same way they follow football: on a phone, often mid-match. That’s part of why in-play betting has grown alongside tennis’s TV audience — odds move point by point, and a single break of serve can flip a match winner price in seconds. Pre-match markets still draw the bulk of the volume on the majors, but live markets are where a lot of the action shifts once the draw is out and the early rounds start throwing up surprises.
| Market | Description |
|---|---|
| Match Winner (Moneyline) | Pick who wins the match outright; tennis has no draws, so it’s always a two-way market |
| Set Betting | Predict the exact score in sets, such as 2-0 or 2-1 in best-of-three, or 3-0 through 3-2 at the majors |
| Total Games (Over/Under) | Bet on whether the combined number of games played lands above or below a set line |
| Handicap | A virtual head start in games or sets is applied to even out a mismatched pairing |
| Outright/Futures | Bet on who lifts the trophy before or during the tournament, the market that moves most as the draw develops |
FAQs on Popular Tennis Tournaments
Which tennis tournament has the biggest prize pool?
The US Open currently pays out the most, with a record US$90 million total prize pool in 2025 and US$5 million going to each singles champion — more than any other event in the sport.
Is Indian Wells really considered a Grand Slam?
No — officially it’s an ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 event, one tier below the four majors. It’s earned the nickname “fifth Grand Slam” informally because its attendance, draw size, and prize money all rival the actual majors, even though ranking points and prestige don’t.
What time do Grand Slam matches usually air for fans in Kuwait?
It depends heavily on the tournament. Australian Open day sessions often land in the evening in Kuwait (GMT+3) because of the time difference with Melbourne, while Wimbledon and Roland Garros matches typically run through the Kuwaiti afternoon and evening. US Open sessions, especially night matches, can stretch into the early hours locally.
Which surface tends to produce more upsets, clay or grass?
Grass tends to produce more upsets from lower-ranked big servers, since a hot serving day can carry a weaker player through a short match. Clay generally favors the stronger all-round player, since longer rallies and five-set formats wear down anyone relying on serve alone.
What’s the easiest tennis betting market for beginners?
Match Winner is the simplest starting point — pick who wins, with no handicap or games total to calculate. It’s also the market where public rankings and recent form line up most closely with the odds, making it a good place to build confidence before trying set betting or totals.
Do lower-ranked players ever get good odds at these tournaments?
Yes, particularly in the first week of a 128-player Grand Slam draw or the 96-player Indian Wells field, where a seeded player can face a dangerous floater several rounds earlier than the bracket suggests. Watching the draw as soon as it’s released, rather than waiting for the first match, is usually how sharper value gets found before the odds adjust.
