One concern I often hear from people considering tennis trading is the amount of time they think they’ll need to spend in front of their computer.

A tennis match can easily last two or three hours. Some matches last considerably longer.

So does trading tennis mean sitting at your PC watching an entire match from the first serve until match point?

No.

One of the biggest misconceptions about tennis trading is that you need to trade the whole match.

You don’t.

You’re Trading An Opportunity, Not The Entire Match

When I enter a tennis trade, I’m looking for a particular situation to develop.

Once I’ve entered the trade, I have an idea of what I expect to happen and where I’m looking to exit.

That opportunity might only involve a small part of a match. I might even get in and out in the same game!

The match could continue for another two hours after I’ve closed my position, but that doesn’t matter. My trade is finished.

You’re not being paid according to how long you watch the match.

Know What You’re Waiting For

This is another reason why having a trading plan is so important.

If you simply open a match on Betfair and wait for something interesting to happen, you could spend a lot of time staring at your screen without achieving very much.

I prefer to know what I’m looking for beforehand.

My pre-match research helps me identify potential trading opportunities and the circumstances I’m looking for before entering the market.

If those circumstances don’t occur, I don’t have to trade.

You Don’t Need To Trade Every Match

This becomes particularly important on busy days.

There can be a dozen or more ATP and WTA matches taking place, especially during the early rounds of Grand Slam tournaments.

Trying to follow all of them would be exhausting.

More importantly, it isn’t necessary.

I would much rather concentrate on a small number of good opportunities than try to trade everything that’s available.

Being selective doesn’t just reduce the amount of time you spend at your computer. It can also improve the quality of your trading decisions.

A Three-Hour Match Doesn’t Mean A Three-Hour Trade

Let’s say you’ve identified a match that you believe offers a potential trading opportunity.

You might watch the start of the match and wait for the situation you’re looking for.

The opportunity appears.

You enter your trade.

The market moves as expected and you exit.

Your involvement in that match could be relatively short even though the players remain on court for several more hours.

There’s no reason to continue trading simply because the match hasn’t finished.

What If The Opportunity Takes A Long Time To Appear?

Sometimes it will.

Not every match develops as expected.

This is where discipline becomes important.

You don’t have to sit watching a match indefinitely just because it was on your shortlist before play started.

If the situation you’re looking for doesn’t develop, you can move on.

There will always be another opportunity.

Trading Can Fit Around Your Available Time

You also don’t have to make tennis trading an all-day activity.

Some people have jobs.

Others have family commitments.

Many simply don’t want to spend their entire day watching tennis.

That’s fine.

You can concentrate on matches taking place when you’re available and ignore the rest.

There are professional tennis tournaments taking place throughout most of the year, so you don’t need to feel that you have to take every opportunity that appears.

Preparation Can Save You Time

This is something that’s easily overlooked.

Good preparation doesn’t just help you find better trading opportunities.

It can also save you a lot of time.

If you’ve already narrowed the day’s matches down to those that interest you and you know what you’re looking for, you don’t need to spend hours jumping randomly between matches hoping to find a trade.

You can focus your attention where it’s most useful.

Final Thoughts

Tennis matches can be long, but your trades don’t have to be.

You aren’t committing yourself to watching an entire match every time you open a position.

You’re looking for a trading opportunity.

Once that opportunity has played out and you’ve closed your trade, there’s no reason you can’t switch off the match and get on with the rest of your day.

Preparation and being selective can dramatically reduce the amount of time you need to spend at your computer.

My TradeShark Tennis Trading Course teaches the strategies I use to identify specific trading opportunities rather than simply trading matches from beginning to end. My daily Trading Tips Email also highlight the matches and situations I’m interested in, saving members from having to research the entire day’s schedule themselves.

FAQ articles

Can beginners learn Tennis Trading?

Why tennis trading is lower risk than betting

Why Trading Isn’t The Same As Betting

How To Manage Risk When Trading Tennis

What Makes A Good Tennis Trading Opportunity?

How Do I Know When To Exit A Trade?

When There Are Lots Of Matches, How Do I Choose Which One To Trade?

I’m Not A Great Fan Of Tennis. Is That A Problem?