What “Total Aces” Means in Tennis Betting
A “Total Aces” bet is a wager on how many aces (unreturned serves that land in the service box) are hit in a match, a set, or by a specific player.
You can bet:
- On an individual player’s total aces, or
- On the combined total aces from both players.
Example Types of Total Aces Bets
| Type | Example Market | What You’re Betting On |
|---|---|---|
| Match Total Aces (Over/Under) | Over 18.5 Aces in Match | Betting that both players will combine for 19 or more aces. |
| Player Total Aces (Over/Under) | Novak Djokovic Over 7.5 Aces | Betting that Djokovic will hit at least 8 aces. |
| Set Total Aces | Set 1 – Over 6.5 Aces | Betting that both players will serve 7 or more aces in Set 1. |
Player Example: Nick Kyrgios vs. Rafael Nadal
Let’s say the bookmaker offers:
| Market | Line | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Kyrgios – Total Aces | Over 12.5 | 1.90 |
| Nadal – Total Aces | Over 5.5 | 1.85 |
| Match Total Aces | Over 18.5 | 1.95 |
How it works:
- If Kyrgios serves 13 or more aces, your Over 12.5 bet wins.
- If Nadal serves 6 or more aces, Over 5.5 wins.
- If both players combine for 19 or more, Match Over 18.5 wins.
Key Factors That Influence Ace Totals
- Surface Type
- Grass (Wimbledon) → Fast, favors aces.
- Clay (French Open) → Slower, fewer aces.
- Hard courts → Moderate, depends on conditions.
- Player Style
- Big servers like John Isner, Reilly Opelka, or Milos Raonic often exceed 20+ aces in long matches.
- Defensive baseliners like Rafael Nadal or Diego Schwartzman hit fewer aces.
- Match Length
- Best-of-5 (Grand Slams) = More sets → More ace opportunities.
- Best-of-3 = Fewer total aces likely.
- Opponent’s Return Skill
- Facing strong returners (e.g., Djokovic or Medvedev) usually reduces aces.
- Facing weaker returners (e.g., clay specialists) often increases ace count.
Example Breakdown:
Match: Matteo Berrettini vs. Alexander Zverev
Surface: Grass
Market: Over 24.5 Total Match Aces
- Berrettini averages 12 aces/match on grass.
- Zverev averages 10 aces/match on grass.
- Both have strong first serves, and grass is fast.
Prediction: Over 24.5 is likely.
Result: Berrettini 14 aces, Zverev 13 → 27 total aces → Bet Wins!
Betting Tips for “Total Aces”
- Check surface and weather conditions.
- Dry, indoor, or grass matches = higher ace counts.
- Windy or humid outdoor matches = fewer aces.
- Research player serve stats.
- Look at first serve %, aces per match, and average serve speed on that surface.
- Beware of short matches.
- If a favorite wins easily (6–1, 6–2), the match might end too quickly for many aces.
- Use live betting.
- After Set 1, if both players are holding serve easily, betting on Over live totals can be profitable.
- Head-to-head history matters.
- Some matchups consistently produce low or high ace counts depending on serve and return styles.
Example Betting Strategy
Scenario:
Taylor Fritz vs. Ben Shelton (hard court)
Bookmaker offers:
- Fritz Over 9.5 Aces @ 1.85
- Shelton Over 11.5 Aces @ 1.90
Analysis:
- Both are big servers with few breaks on hard courts.
- Indoor setting → faster conditions.
Bet: Both players Over their ace lines (or match total Over 20.5).
Result: Fritz 12 aces, Shelton 14 → All bets win