Modern sports platforms, betting services, and analytical applications require accurate and timely data on matches, results, and player statistics. This is where sports APIs come to the rescue — interfaces that allow for automatic information retrieval without manual searching.
Tennis API is a service that provides data specifically about tennis matches: results, odds, player rankings, and tournaments. However, if we consider a more universal solution, API-sport it offers a wide range of disciplines, timely updates, and integration with various platforms.
Such a service will be useful for:
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developers of sports applications;
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betting platforms and odds scanners;
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sports media and analysts;
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Fantasy Sports projects and BI systems working with data on sports events.
What is API-sport?
API (Application Programming Interface) is a software interface that allows services to exchange data. API-sport — is a popular platform that provides real-time sports data and historical archives.
API-sport has been on the market for several years and has established itself as a reliable source of data for professional betting platforms and sports media.
Available data:
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Live match results;
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Detailed statistics of players and teams;
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Archive data and historical results;
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Odds for bets and outcomes;
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Information on transfers and team rosters.
The feature of API-sport lies in its versatility and reliability. The platform covers dozens of sports, including tennis, football, basketball, hockey, and esports, providing developers and analysts with a full range of data. The data is updated with high speed and accuracy, making the service especially valuable for live applications and real-time betting. Connection is possible via both REST and WebSocket, and integration with applications and systems is easy thanks to support for JSON and XML formats.
Tennis API
The tennis API is focused on tennis data:
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Match and tournament results;
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Odds for bets and predictions;
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Player rosters and their rankings;
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Statistics on sets, games, aces, and double faults;
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Information on transfers and participation in tournaments.
API-sport wins in this regard, offering similar data on tennis while additionally covering dozens of other disciplines, allowing for the development of multi-sport projects without connecting separate APIs.
Supported sports
The tennis API is limited to one discipline.
API-sport supports: football, basketball, hockey, tennis, esports, baseball, handball, volleyball, rugby, and many others.
Technologies and formats
Both APIs use modern technologies:
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REST for standard requests;
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WebSocket for live data;
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Data formats: JSON and XML.
API-sport features more user-friendly documentation and ready-made SDKs, making it easier for developers.
How to access the API?
Connection to API-sport It starts with official registration on the platform’s website. After creating an account, the user is provided with a personal API key, which acts as a unique identifier and allows secure data access.
Choosing a tariff plan is the next step. The platform offers both free and paid options. The free plan is suitable for testing and small projects: it opens a basic set of data, limits the number of requests, and does not include all sports or historical archives. Paid plans provide full access to all disciplines, live data, player statistics, odds, and archives, making them optimal for professional platforms, media, and analytical services.
10. RapidAPI, SportRadar, and other platforms provide access to BetsAPI and Livescore API through their channels. This is convenient for developers who need ready-made integrations and reliable SLAs.
In addition to official connection, API-sport can be used through third-party aggregator services such as RapidAPI and SportRadar. These platforms allow access to data without direct registration on the main site, which is convenient for quick integration or testing.
However, when using third-party providers, limitations should be considered: functionality may be reduced, data update speed may be lower, and some live data or archival records may be unavailable. Therefore, for serious projects, it is preferable to work with the official API directly.
12. Free plans usually include limited access to historical data and basic statistics. Paid subscriptions unlock:
Free access It provides limited functionality: basic data on some matches and tournaments, a limited number of requests per day, and no access to archives and live data in full. This plan is ideal for getting acquainted with the API and testing integrations on small projects.
Paid subscription opens up a full range of possibilities: access to all types of sports, live results, player and team statistics, betting odds, and historical data. Paid plans allow scaling projects, integrating APIs into large platforms, and using data for professional analytics without limitations.
17. Number of requests per minute/hour
Each plan has its own limitations, which are important to consider when planning a project:
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The number of requests per minute or hour — important for applications working with live data;
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The speed of live data updates — the free plan updates less frequently, while paid subscriptions provide almost instant changes;
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Restrictions on access to historical archives — in the free version, access to old matches may be limited.
Flexible pricing system API-sport allows you to choose the optimal plan for specific tasks: from small test integrations to large projects with high requirements for speed and data accuracy.
API Integration
Connection examples
Python:
import requests
url = «https://api-sport.pro/tennis/matches»
headers = {«X-API-KEY»: «your_key»}
response = requests.get(url, headers=headers)
print(response.json())
JavaScript:
fetch(«https://api-sport.pro/tennis/matches», {
headers: { «X-API-KEY»: «your_key» }
})
.then(response => response.json())
.then(data => console.log(data));
Integration into CMS and mobile applications
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WordPress: via REST API plugins;
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Android/iOS: connection via Retrofit, Alamofire, WebSocket;
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The ability to use live data to display matches in real time.
Using live data via WebSocket
WebSocket provides instant event updates, which is preferable to periodic polling, especially for real-time betting and live analyses.
Where is the API used?
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Betting and odds scanners: automatic updating of odds and outcomes;
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Sports analytics and forecasts: collecting statistics and making predictions;
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Media and fan applications: displaying live results;
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Fantasy Sports and esports: calculating points and rankings;
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BI systems and Big Data projects: analyzing trends, historical data, and player performance.
Advantages and disadvantages
Advantages of API-sport
One of the main advantages API-sport is a wide coverage of sports disciplines. The platform provides data not only for tennis but also for football, basketball, hockey, esports, volleyball, baseball, and many other sports. This allows for the creation of multi-sport applications and analytical services without the need to connect multiple different APIs.
No less important is the high speed of data updates. Live results, changes in odds, and player statistics are updated almost instantly, which is especially valuable for betting platforms and applications with live analysis.
Accuracy and reliability of information is another significant advantage. API-sport guarantees the correctness of all data, including match results, player statistics, transfers, and historical archives, which is critical for analytics and forecasts.
For the convenience of developers, the service offers ready-made SDKs and detailed documentation that allow for quick integration of the API into web applications, mobile platforms, or analytical systems. This reduces integration time and lowers the risk of errors when working with data.
Disadvantages of API-sport
Among the disadvantages, the cost of paid tariffs should be noted. For large projects that require access to all disciplines and live data, the subscription can be a significant expense.
The limitations of the free version can also be inconvenient: request limits, lack of access to archives or complete live data. The free tariff is more suitable for testing and small projects.
Finally, basic programming skills are necessary for large integrations. Although SDKs and documentation simplify the connection, full integration into large platforms requires an understanding of working with APIs, REST requests, and WebSocket, as well as skills in handling large volumes of data.
Alternatives to Tennis API
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SportRadar: strong coverage of football and hockey, but less convenient SDKs;
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RapidAPI: an aggregator with access to multiple APIs, but the update speed is lower;
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Limited tennis APIs: suitable only for niche projects.
API-sport stands out for its versatility, making it the optimal choice for multi-sport platforms.
In summary
A comparison of Tennis APIs and API-sport shows that the latter wins in versatility, update speed, and data availability. If you want to develop multi-sport platforms, analytical services, betting projects, or Fantasy Sports applications — API-sport will be the optimal choice.
Registration: https://app.api-sport.ru/register
Our TG channel with updates: https://t.me/apisportru.
FAQ
Is there free access?
Yes, limited, with a request limit and basic statistics.
What sports are supported?
Football, tennis, hockey, basketball, esports, and over 20 disciplines.
Is the API suitable for betting?
Yes, API-sport provides odds and live results for bet calculations.
How to connect the API to the application?
Through REST or WebSocket, using SDK or standard HTTP requests.
Can the API be used for predictions?
Yes, historical statistics and live data are available, convenient for analytics.
Does the API support mobile applications?
Yes, fully compatible with Android/iOS through the corresponding libraries and WebSocket.


Where is the API used?



