WTA Australian Open Women's Singles 2026 - Women’s Tennis Outrights Betting, Odds & Live Stream
When the WTA Tour calendar begins, excitement is already building for the four Grand Slams - the pinnacle of tennis for any professional. With 2025 now over, eyes are on Melbourne for the first Slam of the year, the Australian Open.
With our experts at Stake, we've compiled all the information you'll need to follow the tournament including the WTA Australian Open schedule, what to expect from some of the biggest stars, who might be an early favourite, and how to place a bet on the affectionately named “Happy Slam” right here on Stake Sportsbook.
When & Where is the 2026 WTA Australian Open Women's Singles Event?
The Australian Open 2026 is set to get underway on January 18, running all the way through to January 31, where the women’s singles title will be decided with the showpiece final.
As is the case every year, the 2026 edition will be a hard-court event, taking place at Melbourne Park, the home of the Open since 1988.
Who is Playing in the WTA Australian Open Women's Singles?
The best female tennis players in the world will be making their way Down Under for this year’s competition, with the top 32 seeded players in the Australian Open standings battling to take part, including players like Mirra Andreeva and Elena Rybakina.
There will be a number of other wildcards and players to come through the qualification stage that begins the week before the singles competition gets underway. That’s where we may see players like Emma Raducanu and Ann Li take their place at the top table if they don’t finish in the top 32.
While there will be a total of 128 players taking to the courts, there are a handful that will stand out in the Australian Open odds even before a serve has been struck, including these big names:
Madison Keys
As the reigning champion, American Madison Keys will feature highly in the early betting odds. Having defeated Aryna Sabalenka, preventing the Belarusian from going three-in-a-row, in 2025, she has form for outperforming her WTA ranking. Keys will be turning 31 on the eve of the tournament, so a second-ever Slam title will be welcome, as time closes in on the Illinois native.
Aryna Sabalenka
Eyes will be on Sabalenka to see how the world number one can rebound from the disappointment of being stopped from joining an illustrious group of players to go back-to-back-to-back that includes greats like Steffi Graf and Martina Hingis, as well as the seven-in-a-row winner Margaret Smith. Time is somewhat on the Belarusian’s side, and a win here could see her back on the trail for records and cement her place as one of the hard-court specialists.
Iga Swiatek
The Australian Open has eluded Iga Swiatek so far in her admittedly relatively short career. It’s the only Slam that she has yet to claim, and finally winning it would see her stake her claim as one of the most successful players of all time. She may be third in all-time prize money, but with 25 titles, she’s still some way off breaking into the top 10 of all time. However, she’ll have Monica Seles 53 titles in her sights. A win here could kick off a real period of domination for the 24-year-old.
How to Bet on the WTA Australian Open Women’s Singles & Tennis Bet Types
It couldn’t be easier to get started betting on tennis at Stake. First, make an account, then add funds, before navigating to the tennis odds and markets and adding your choices to a bet slip. If you’re new to using an online sportsbook, check out our sports betting guide before learning how to bet on tennis.
Once you feel comfortable that you have at least the basics down, here are some bet types that you are likely to see and use as part of your tennis betting repertoire:
Correct score: This is a fairly difficult but common bet type. You’ll find these in all kinds of sports, including soccer and American football, but they’re particularly popular in tennis. What makes them difficult is that you’re choosing a match winner (on its own, known as a moneyline bet) as well as predicting the exact score, meaning that they’re often fairly lengthy betting odds.
Set handicap: Handicap betting is another bet type common across sports. That’s because it’s a good way of getting the best odds you can out of a match involving a heavy favourite. For example, if Sabalenka were playing a non-seeded player, you could handicap her by -1.5, meaning she must win 2-0 (the women’s singles are best-of-three) for your bet to win.
First set - total games: This form of set betting is an over/under style of wager. You’re predicting how many games it will take for a set’s winner to be decided, choosing whether it will be over or under a set figure; for example, under 9.5, meaning it would need to be 6-3 or under.
Tennis Live Streaming & Live Betting Options
You can watch some of the hottest live sports on the planet while you bet right here at Stake.com. The biggest competitions in tennis are available to watch, including the Grand Slams. Navigate to our Live Tennis section or Upcoming events and look for fixtures with the live streaming logo. For more information, check out our live streaming guide.
When you’re watching tennis live, you’re able to see where the action is heading and make more accurate predictions than if you were to place a bet before the first serve. In-play betting gives you the chance to react to events in the game like the effect of the Australian extreme heat on players. It’s important to note, though, there are some key differences between live and pre-match betting, so you should get up to speed with them before starting.
Deposit & Withdrawal Methods for Betting on Tennis
Get started with your Australian Open bets by logging into your account with a secure method, such as using a passkey , and following these simple steps:
Step 1 - Find your deposit address by going to Wallet > Deposit.
Step 2 - Select a deposit method.We accept a number of local currencies , including popular options like Argentine Pesos, Chilean Pesos, Mexican Pesos, Indian Rupees, Turkish Lira, Vietnamese Dong, USD in Ecuador, and Canadian Dollars.You can also use a wide range of cryptocurrency, such as EOS, SOL, DOGE, ETH, USDT, LTC, TRX, and BTC. When you’re ready to buy your coins, you can use a number of crypto exchange platforms, such as Mesh, Moonpay , and Swapped.com . Swap Crypto is now available through Stake, meaning you can exchange coins directly from your wallet.
Step 3 - Input the deposit address as your ‘send to’ location in your wallet or exchange.
Step 4 - To make a withdrawal, go to Account > Wallet > Withdraw, enter your cash-out amount and your wallet’s destination address.
If you have any questions with anything to do with deposits and withdrawals, including advice on using the Stake Vault or other crypto security methods, reach out to our customer support staff. They are always happy to help.
Stake Sportsbook Promotions, VIP Club, & Responsible Betting
Stretch your bankroll with the sportsbook promotions from Stake. This includes rakebacks, reloads, and even tennis specific tiebreaker promotions. Make sure to read through the specific terms and conditions, including time limits and minimum odds before opting in for any bonuses.
You may also be eligible to join the VIP Club, where you can earn different rewards based on your staking history. At the highest level, you can even get access to a VIP host for personalised bonuses. Check out our VIP FAQs for more information.
It’s important to always bet within your means and gamble responsibly. Learn how to stay in control by reading through our Stake Smart guidelines. There are also tools like our monthly budget calculator and betting limit guide to help establish healthier gambling habits.
