Fantasy tennis brings the excitement of professional tennis to life by allowing you to build a team of players and compete against other managers based on their performances in real tournaments.
Although fantasy tennis is not as widespread as fantasy football, it offers a unique strategic challenge. Success depends on understanding tournament draws, player form, playing surfaces and how different scoring systems reward performance throughout an event.
How Fantasy Tennis Works
Most fantasy tennis games ask you to select a squad of players before the tournament begins. Your players then earn fantasy points based on their real-life performances as they progress through the competition.
Depending on the game, you may have a salary cap, restrictions on player selection or requirements to include both ATP and WTA players in your squad.
Your objective is simple: score more fantasy points than the other managers in your contest.
Typical Team Selection Rules
Every operator has its own rules, but common requirements include:
- A fixed squad size.
- A salary cap or team budget.
- Minimum numbers of ATP and WTA players.
- Restrictions on selecting players from certain seed groups.
- Entry deadlines before the first match of the tournament.
How Players Score Points
Scoring systems vary between operators, but fantasy points are commonly awarded for:
- Winning matches.
- Progressing to later rounds.
- Winning the tournament.
- Winning sets.
- Serving aces.
- Winning tie-breaks.
- Breaking an opponent’s serve.
- Defeating higher-ranked opponents.
Some formats also deduct points for double faults or other negative statistics.
Fantasy Tennis Strategy
Unlike fantasy football, where players compete every week, fantasy tennis revolves around tournament progression. Selecting players who are likely to reach the latter stages is often more important than simply choosing the biggest names.
Before selecting your squad, consider:
- Current form.
- Head-to-head records.
- Playing surface (grass, clay or hard court).
- The tournament draw.
- Potential quarter-final and semi-final opponents.
- Fitness and injury concerns.
A favourable draw can sometimes make an underrated player a better fantasy pick than a higher-ranked opponent facing a difficult route through the tournament.
Major Fantasy Tennis Events
Fantasy tennis contests are most commonly available during the four Grand Slam tournaments:
- Australian Open
- French Open (Roland Garros)
- Wimbledon
- US Open
Some fantasy platforms also run contests for ATP Masters 1000, WTA 1000 and season-ending championships.
Ready to Learn More?
Once you understand the basics, the next step is learning how tournament draws, player styles and different scoring systems can influence your team selection.
How to Play Fantasy Wimbledon →
