In team sports, when a player suffers an injury or falls ill, they can easily be replaced by another squad member.
But in individual sports such as tennis, no such luxury is available – so the player has to decide whether or not to brave the pain barrier.
If they feel that they are unable to take to the court, their opponent is simply handed the victory and progresses to the next round – or, in the rarest of cases, they automatically win the final and lift the trophy. In tennis, this process is known as a walkover.
Why is it Called a Walkover?
So what is a tennis walkover? And why is it called that? Quite simply, a walkover in tennis occurs when a player informs the tournament officials that they are unable to fulfil their next match.
It’s called a walkover because that’s exactly what happens for the recipient: they enjoy a walkover of the injured/ill player, winning the match without even having to break a sweat. It originates in horse racing, when a dominant jockey would simply walk over the finishing line when their competitors were nowhere to be seen.
But when there is a walkover in tennis, what happens to your bets? That’s the issue we’ll explore in this article.
What Happens in a Walkover?
A player may know hours in advance if they need to withdraw from a tournament – they could reach a final in the United States on the Sunday, before being expected to play their next game 24 hours later in Europe; these scheduling issues can be a cause of a walkover.
In other cases, a player may try to hang on until the very last possible moment before withdrawing – hoping that they can recover suitably to take to the court and compete.
This is a general tennis walkover meaning – there can be other causes for a late withdrawal and, thus, an opponent being handed an automatic victory.
Does a Walkover Count as a Win?
If a player knows in advance that they are going to withdraw from a tournament, they may be replaced in the draw by a ‘lucky loser’ – somebody who failed to qualify outright for the event, but who earns a reprieve due to that late withdrawal. These players are then added to the Australian Open odds, for example.
A walkover occurs once the tournament draw has been made, so the schedule is known – a withdrawal now will result in a walkover win for the opponent.
Difference Between a Walkover and a Default
A walkover, as we’ve learned, is where a player withdraws from a match without stepping on the court.
A default, meanwhile, occurs once the match is underway. A player can be ‘defaulted’, i.e. disqualified, if their behaviour on court is particularly poor – they can incur up to four code violations from the umpire before they face the dreaded DQ.
Difference Between a Walkover and Withdrawal
A tennis walkover can take place at any point during a tournament, whereas a withdrawal occurs before the event has got underway.
As mentioned, when a player withdraws before a tournament starts, they will likely be replaced in the draw by a lucky loser or qualifier. That player then becomes a live selection in the French Open odds, for instance, if that’s the event where the WD takes place.
The Most Famous Walkovers in Recent Years
Some of the best players in modern memory have suffered the unfortunate fate of having to allow their scheduled opponent a walkover into the next round of a major tournament.
Naomi Osaka (Western & Southern Open, 2020)
It’s one of the worst fears of a tennis player – picking up an injury that forces them to miss a final they have worked so hard to reach.
That was the case for Naomi Osaka at the 2020 edition of the Western & Southern Open, with the Japanese ace suffering a hamstring injury in her semi-final win over Elise Mertens.
Victoria Azarenka would get the walkover win and therefore lift the trophy without even having to get changed into her playing gear!
Roger Federer (French Open, 2021)
Federer was approaching his fortieth birthday as he took to the court in the 2021 French Open.
Having gone through a series of surgeries on his knee, the Swiss ace was not at full fitness and yet battled his way through three gruelling rounds – his third-round victory over Dominik Koepfer lasted more than three hours and went on until late into the evening.
Federer subsequently withdrew from his fourth-round tie, revealing that he had to ‘listen to his body’. Scheduled opponent Matteo Berrettini enjoyed a walkover win.
Rafael Nadal (Wimbledon, 2022)
Like Federer, Rafael Nadal has been beset with injury problems in the autumn of his career, with a torn abductor disrupting the Wimbledon betting markets in 2022.
The Spaniard had reached the semi-final stage of the competition, but the painful stomach injury – which meant he couldn’t serve at full power – meant he had no choice but to hand Nick Kyrgios the walkover victory.
Do You Lose Your Bet if There is a Tennis Walkover?
So now we know what a tennis walkover is, what actually happens to your bets?
Because the match never actually takes place, there is no final result – therefore all bets are declared void, with your stake returned.
The same occurs in the outright tennis odds you can wager on at talkSPORT BET. If your player withdraws before playing their first match, bets are void. If they play a match and then withdraw, bets are settled as a loss.
Is a Tennis Walkover a Push?
As mentioned, if a game that your selection is scheduled to play in doesn’t happen, then it ends in a walkover – your bet is settled as a push no matter whether your player is the injured party or the one that benefits.
Do You Lose Your Bet if a Tennis Player Retires During a Match?
There’s a very different set of circumstances when a match gets underway before one of the players retires through injury or illness.
All bets are void and settled as a push – unless the outcome of your wager has already occurred. For example, if you bet on Novak Djokovic to win the first set of his next match, he does so but then he or his opponent retires, your bet will still be settled as a win.
On the flipside, all losing bets stand too – e.g. if you back Djokovic to win the first set, he loses it and then he or his opponent retires. Win, lose or walkover, you should always bet responsibly on tennis; find out how you can do exactly that at our Safer Gambling portal.
