<p>The first of Tennis’ four annual Grand Slams, the Australian Open is one of the biggest domestic sporting events of the year.</p> <p>Naturally, tennis enthusiasts and casual admirers alike, flock to soak up the action as the world’s racquet-wielding elite do battle Down Under.</p> <p>As well as being a hit with spectators, the Australian Open also proves to be pretty popular with punters.</p> <p>That’s why here at The Huddle, as part of our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/huddle/punter-iq">Punter IQ</a> series, we’ve created this handy guide to teach people how to bet on the Australian Open.</p> <p>Whether you’re after a step-by-step guide on how to place a bet on the Australian Open, or you simply want more info on the types of bets available, or something in between, this guide has something for everyone.</p> <p>If you’re looking for some betting tips after you learn how to bet on the Australian Open, make sure to check out both our predictions for both the<a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/huddle/australian-open/predictions/mens-draw-2026"> Men’s</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/huddle/australian-open/predictions/ladies-draw-2026">Ladies</a> brackets at the 2026 Australian Open.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>How to Bet on the Australian Open</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Step 1:</strong> Choose between outright or match betting.</p> <p><strong>Step 2:</strong> Confirm your outright selection in either the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/tennis/mens-australian-open/men-s-australian-open-winner-2026-8896398">men’s</a> or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/tennis/ladies-australian-open/ladies-australian-open-winner-2026-8892430">women’s</a> draw, or both.</p> <p><strong>Step 3:</strong> Select your match and browse the markets available for it.</p> <p><strong>Step 4:</strong> Select the market(s) you wish to wager on.</p> <p><strong>Step 5:</strong> Choose your stake and confirm your bet.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>What is the Structure of the Australian Open</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The Australian Open, the first of the four annual Grand Slam tournaments, kicks off each January.</p> <p>The event features men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles, and mixed doubles competitions. All main draw events follow a single-elimination knockout format, meaning a player or team is eliminated after a single loss.</p> <p>The singles tournaments for both men and women consist of 128 players. This includes 104 direct entries based on world rankings, 16 qualifiers who earn their spot through a pre-tournament qualifying event, and 8 wildcards granted by the organisers.</p> <p>Players must win seven consecutive matches to be crowned champion. Which sounds a lot more straightforward than it actually is.</p> <p>In terms of match format, the men's singles matches are best-of-five sets. The women's singles, along with all doubles events, are best-of-three sets.</p> <p>Since 2019, all Grand Slams, including the Australian Open, use a 10-point tiebreak in the final set when the score reaches six games all.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Types of Bets You Can Place on the Australian Open</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Outright Betting</h3> <p>Arguably the most popular bet type when it comes to the Australian Open, this is a long-term bet where you predict the champion of the tournament before it begins or while it is in progress.</p> <p>You can place a bet on who will win the Men's Singles or Women's Singles title. This type of bet is great for those who want to follow a player's journey throughout the entire two-week event.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Match Betting</h3> <p>Also known as the Head-to-Head (H2H) market. This is where you can bet on who you think will win a specific match of your choosing. This is one of Sportsbet’s most popular markets for punters looking to bet on the Aus Open.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Set Betting</h3> <p>During Australian Open matches there are many betting markets that exist on a set-to-set basis. Among these are: Player X to win at least one set, Player X to win the 1st set and traditional set betting where you wager on a certain player winning a certain number of sets in comparison to their opponent. Example: Jannik Sinner 3-1.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Correct Score</h3> <p>Usually divided set by set, this market gives punters the opportunity to predict the correct score of a specific set.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Over/Under Total Games</h3> <p>This bet type involves predicting whether the total number of games played in a match will be over or under a specific preset amount. It doesn't matter who wins the match, it only matters how many games end up being played in the match.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Aces</h3> <p>A fun one to finish. In tennis, an ace is defined as a serve that lands in the correct service box and is not touched by the receiver’s racquet, winning the point instantly for the server.</p> <p>There are a number of different aces-related markets punters can wager on during the AO. These include: a specific player to hit a certain amount during a match, the total number of aces in a match and the total number of aces in a specific set.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Australian Open 2026 Dates and Details</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Dates: </strong>Monday, January 12 – Sunday, February 1, 2026.</p> <p><strong>Location:</strong> Melbourne, Victoria.</p> <p><strong>Arena:</strong> Melbourne Park.</p> <p><strong>Where to watch: </strong>Channel 9, 9Now and Stan Sport.&nbsp;</p>