What is a Walkover in Tennis and how it affects betting

Contents:

1. Walkover vs Retirement vs Default: key differences
2. Walkover
3. Retirement
4. Default
5. Why do Walkovers happen in Tennis?
6. Injury or Illness
7. Withdrawal Before the Match
8. Disqualification or Non-Arrival
9. How does a Walkover affect the match result?
10. Walkover in Tennis betting: what happens to your bet?
11. If the Walkover Happens Before the Match Starts
12. If the Player Retires During the Match (Not a Walkover)
13. Rules Vary by Sportsbook
14. Know the rules before you bet on Tennis
15. Key points to remember:

Tennis offers many different elements that create suspense, excitement and unpredictability. Tennis enthusiasts follow tournaments hoping to see enthralling rallies, incredible tie breaks and legendary comebacks.

Sometimes the story has ended before the first serve – when an athlete cannot begin their scheduled match. In tennis, this event is called a walkover.

While a walkover might be viewed by casual fans as a trivial detail, it can create problems for bettors. It is important for anyone that bets on tennis to understand specifically what a walkover is, why it occurs, and how it will affect their bets.

In this article, we will explore:

• The difference between walkovers, retirements, and defaults
• The common reasons for walkovers
• How walkovers affect match results
• How betting is impacted and the rules you need to know

Walkover vs Retirement vs Default: key differences

There are numerous tennis terminology definitions that describe unusual ways a tennis match may end. The three that are most often misunderstood include; walkover, retirement, and default. Each of these has its own specific definition, as well as different implications for the player, their ranking, and those placing bets on matches.

Walkover

A walkover occurs if a player is unable to begin a match, which could be due to an injury, sickness, family/personal reason, or a disqualification prior to the first ball being hit. Once a walkover occurs, the opposing player will advance to the next round by default.

Example: Rafael Nadal was scheduled to play his third round opponent at the 2021 US Open. However, he withdrew from the match because of a left foot injury before it began. As a result, Nadal’s opponent qualified for the fourth round via walkover.

Retirement

A retirement is called when a player starts the match, but is unable to complete the match. A retirement may be caused by an injury, illness or for another reason that the player feels is urgent enough to withdraw from the match. At this time, the final score is determined and the opponent is awarded the win.

Example: In 2021, Serena Williams was forced to retire from her second round match at Wimbledon due to a severe thigh strain. Because the match had already begun and a partial result had been achieved, it was officially recognized and documented.

Default

A default is when a player has been disqualified or has lost the match for failure to comply with the tournament’s rules. While they do happen, defaults are very rare and generally occur for misconduct, being absent (a no show), or some other serious breach of conduct.

Example: In 2020, Novak Djokovic was defaulted from the US Open after he hit a line judge in the leg with a ball. This was not a retirement or walkover; it was a complete disqualification.

Key takeaway: Walkovers occur prior to a player beginning play, retirements occur while a player is participating in the match and defaults occur because of either a violation of a rule or if a player is disqualified. When betting on a sporting event, a player needs to understand what constitutes each of these and how they will affect their wager, as each will affect a player’s wager differently.

Why do Walkovers happen in Tennis?

Although walkovers occur less often than other disruptions during a tennis tournament, they do happen with some frequency. The main reason for this is that many of the top players have heavy commitments due to the large number of matches that they play and may also be experiencing one or more injuries at the same time.

As such, the three primary reasons for walkovers include;

1. Injury/illness,
2. Withdrawal prior to the start of their scheduled match
3. Disqualified/non-appearance.

Injury or Illness

The most frequent type of walkover occurs when a player has an injury or is ill. This can occur to any player, regardless of level or experience. Because of the high degree of physicality required in playing tennis (i.e., explosive movement, endurance, and repetitive motion), even the best of players are susceptible to suffering from either a strain, sprain or an injury from burnout.

Withdrawal Before the Match

Injuries are just one of many possible causes for walkovers, as many times, players will pull out of competition to save energy or allow them to focus on an upcoming competition. Most professional tennis players compete in matches on consecutive days, and because of this, scheduling and physical exhaustion can be major factors in determining when to pull out of competition.

Disqualification or Non-Arrival

Walkovers can be caused for two common reasons: either the player gets disqualified before the match starts or the player fails to appear at the time of the match. Although this is relatively uncommon, it illustrates that a walkover is characterized by the player’s inability to begin the match, regardless of the reason.

How does a Walkover affect the match result?

From a tournament standpoint, a walkover clearly results in an advancement to the next round of the opponent, but since there was no actual play:

• Sets or games do not count toward statistics (this is different from when a player retires, as partial game counts will be entered into the official record).
• The winner is awarded a win for ranking points and/or money purposes (i.e. the player gets credit for winning the match).
• The match may not be included in official statistics. Players’ win-loss records may report walkovers differently, based on the context of the event.

Walkover in Tennis betting: what happens to your bet?

A walkover can create confusion for players who are betting on their favorite player. Sportsbooks will vary their approach when it comes to handling walkovers; understanding how your specific bet has been handled by the sportsbook will allow you to avoid losing money unexpectedly or becoming frustrated with the results.

If the Walkover Happens Before the Match Starts

For the most part, walkovers will lead to a voided bet. Therefore, your entire wager is returned back to you as the match will not occur.

If the Player Retires During the Match (Not a Walkover)

If the match has already begun, retirement is viewed in a different manner.

In this case:

• The opposing player will be the winner.
• A settlement on your bet is made using the official result (not necessarily how many sets have been completed by the time of retirement).
• Live betting outcomes may be affected depending on when the retirement occurs

Example: If a player loses the first set, and then retires, your match winner bet that you placed for the opposing player would be valid. However, if you place a bet on total number of games played or total number of sets played, your bet could be modified depending upon what was stated in the terms of service from the bookmaker.

Rules Vary by Sportsbook

Walkover policy varies between every individual sportsbook. They may differ as follows;

• Cancelling all wagers that have been made prior to withdrawal for all pre-match bets
• Paying partial winnings on live bets for either a set or match already won
• Sportsbooks will adjust your live wager based on when a player retires during an active contest.

Tip for bettors: Always review the terms and conditions of the sportsbook with regard to walkovers, retirement and default issues so that you do not get caught off guard and lose.

Know the rules before you bet on Tennis

Walkovers are an inevitable part of tennis and impact each and every player. They will also impact the bracket of the tournament and the outcome of wagers on the event.

Although the occurrence of a walkover is always an unfavorable experience for the spectator, understanding what causes walkovers and the official tennis rules regarding walkovers will help the sports bettor to effectively manage the occurrences of walkovers.

Key points to remember:

• A walkover occurs before the commencement of the match, a retirement occurs after the match has begun and a default occurs as a result of a player being disqualified.
• Causes of walkovers (injury, illness, strategic withdrawal, etc.) are very similar to the reasons that cause a player to retire from a match.
• The outcome of a wager may differ significantly between a walkover and a retirement. Walkovers usually lead to pre-match wagers made on that particular match being made void, whereas retirements are settled like normal bets.

Each sportsbook has its own set of rules related to walkovers. Therefore, it is imperative you familiarize yourself with those rules and pay attention to the health status of the players participating in your wagers to avoid being caught out.

Although nobody is ever prepared for the unexpected to happen, whether it is a walkover or anything else, knowledge of tennis and the official rules of the sport are the most effective tools to help you feel confident in making the correct decisions when placing wagers on tennis matches.

See also: How big is the sports betting industry and how works?