Australian Open
The Australian Open has the honour of being the first Grand Slam tournament of the new tennis year and that’s one of the reasons why it’s such an important competition. The best players assemble in Melbourne with a view to winning a major event and, to send out a single to their opponents for the remainder of the season. The tournament is also very popular here at Unibet and our tennis markets become more active whenever the Australian Open approaches. Along with an active set of betting options, we complete the package with Unibet TV - a live streaming service which picks up the best of the action on court.
Tournament Origins
The very first edition of the Australian Open took place in 1905 and it was originally known as the Australasian Championships. Those early competitions were modest affairs and the tournament wasn’t considered to be a major tennis event until the 1920s. Even at that stage, the competitors were mainly drawn from Australia as the country was so remote that travel was long and financially prohibitive.
Eventually, the tournament grew and a major development was to follow in 1969 with the commencement of the open era. Amateurs and professionals now competed against each other and the establishment of the Australian Open as a major Grand Slam event had truly begun.
In the present day, that growth has continued and, at the start of the New Year, excitement builds for the next tournament. Melbourne Park has been the permanent home since 1988 and, as the competition approaches, our outright betting markets start to get busier.
Players to Watch
Many tournaments in the modern day have been dominated by a small selection of players and that’s been the case with the Australian Open. In the men’s singles section, Novak Djokovic is the record holder in terms of overall wins with the Serb securing his eighth title in 2020. Moving through the list of champions, Roger Federer had six titles at the same point in time and those two have been among the dominant players in the men’s game.
Djokovic and Federer haven’t enjoyed a complete duopoly as Stan Wawrinka claimed the title for Switzerland in 2014 but clearly they will remain among the favourites moving forward.
In the women’s singles section, the competition has been more open although Serena Williams is the most successful player of the modern era with seven titles. To keep up to date with the current favourites, simply click on the tennis section of our sportsbook and follow the links to the Australian Open.
Remember, you can follow your player’s progress by tuning in to Unibet TV where the best of the live action from the Australian Open will be streamed to your device.
Betting on and Watching the Australian Open Live
Within the Australian Open, there are five separate competitions taking place and we will have markets available for each one. Men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles all have their own outright betting options while moneyline picks for individual matches will also appear when the tournament begins.
Moneyline bets are simplified in the sense that there is no such thing as a draw in tennis. That leaves a straight selection between the two players on show but you can implement one of a series of Handicap bets if you want to tweak the odds.
Tennis is also known for providing a host of prop bets including Correct Score and Total Games while the sport receives extensive coverage in the live betting section of our sportsbook.
Anyone wanting to access the live stream from Unibet TV simply needs to have funds in their account. Alternatively, it’s possible to watch as long as you have placed a cash bet within the previous 24 hours.
Unibet TV can be picked up by any connected device so you are free to watch via desktop, laptop, smartphone or tablet. It’s all down to your own personal preference, so for extended coverage of world class Australian Open tennis, stay tuned to Unibet for a great service.
