You’ve settled into your couch, cracked open a cold drink, and tuned the TV to ESPN or Tennis Channel. You’re ready for a blockbuster quarterfinal at Indian Wells or Wimbledon. Then, the commentator drops the news with a sigh: "It’s a walkover." Just like that, the match is gone. No points played. No highlight reels. One player moves to the next round, and the other heads home—or to the physio room.
But what is a tennis walkover, really?
It’s one of those terms that sounds like a casual stroll, yet it’s a nightmare for tournament directors, broadcasters, and fans who paid $200 for a seat in the sun. Basically, a walkover occurs when a player is unable to start a match, giving their opponent an automatic victory. It’s a ghost win. A victory without a battle.
The Technical Reality of a Walkover
In the official ATP and WTA rulebooks, a walkover (often abbreviated as "W/O" on scoreboards) is distinct from a retirement or a default. Understanding the nuance matters if you’re a bettor, a fantasy league player, or just a die-hard fan.
A retirement happens during a match. Think of Emma Raducanu stopping mid-set due to breathing difficulties or Rafael Nadal’s knees giving out after two sets of grueling clay-court tennis. In those cases, the match started. Statistics were recorded. Fans saw some tennis.
A walkover is different. It happens before a single ball is tossed in the air.
If Novak Djokovic wakes up with a stomach flu and notifies the supervisor an hour before his match, that’s a walkover. His opponent, let’s say Carlos Alcaraz, "walks over" the finish line into the next round. Alcaraz gets the ranking points and the prize money associated with reaching the next stage, but for his statistical record, it doesn't count as a "match win" in the traditional sense of head-to-head records. It’s just... a progression.
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Why does this distinction exist? Because of the logistics of professional sports. Once a draw is made, the slots are fixed. You can’t just pull a "lucky loser" from the qualifiers to fill a spot once the tournament has progressed into the second or third round. The slot belongs to the player who earned it, and if they can't show up, the slot stays empty.
Why Walkovers Happen (It's Not Just Injuries)
Usually, it’s a physical breakdown. Tennis is a brutal, repetitive sport. The season is long.
A player might win a three-hour marathon on Tuesday night, only to wake up Wednesday morning and realize they literally cannot move their shoulder. This is incredibly common in the "Sunshine Double" (Indian Wells and Miami) or during the transition from the grueling clay of Roland Garros to the slick grass of Wimbledon.
But sometimes, it’s weirder.
- Illness: Food poisoning is a recurring villain on the tour.
- Personal Emergencies: A sudden death in the family or a private crisis.
- Travel Logistics: While rare in the main draws of Slams, in smaller Challenger events, a player might get stuck at an airport and fail to arrive before the "ready to play" deadline.
Honesty is a big part of this. Players are generally expected to give as much notice as possible. If they wait until the very last second, they risk the wrath of the tournament referee.
The 2022 Nadal vs. Kyrgios Incident
Perhaps the most famous—and heartbreaking—modern example was the 2022 Wimbledon semifinal. Rafael Nadal had just defeated Taylor Fritz in a legendary five-set quarterfinal despite a visible abdominal tear. The world waited for 24 hours to see if the "King of Clay" could recover enough to face Nick Kyrgios.
He couldn't.
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Nadal called a press conference and withdrew. Nick Kyrgios received a walkover directly into his first Grand Slam final. It felt hollow for everyone. Kyrgios didn't get the "glory" of beating a legend to get there, and the fans lost what could have been the most chaotic match in grass-court history.
This highlights a weird quirk of the walkover: the "winner" actually loses out on rhythm. Tennis players are creatures of habit. They want to hit balls. Getting a day off sounds nice, but suddenly going into a final without having played for four days can actually be a disadvantage.
The "Late Withdrawal" vs. Walkover Confusion
There is a specific window where a walkover becomes something else.
If a player withdraws before the tournament starts (the very first round), they are replaced by a "Lucky Loser"—someone who lost in the final round of qualifying. In this scenario, it’s not a walkover. It’s just a change in the draw.
The walkover only exists once the tournament is "live" for that specific player.
How It Affects Betting and Fantasy Tennis
If you’ve ever put a few bucks on a match, you know that a walkover is a massive "Check the Rules" moment.
Most sportsbooks have a "One Set Completed" rule for retirements, but for walkovers, almost every reputable bookie will void the bet. Since no action took place, there’s no gamble to settle. Your money just sits there in limbo until the site processes the void.
In fantasy tennis, it’s even more annoying. You might have picked a captain who gets a walkover. They get zero points for aces, zero points for games won, and usually just a flat "progression bonus." It can ruin a week of scouting in an instant.
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Can a Player Be Forced Into a Walkover?
Technically, yes. If a player is late to the court—usually by more than 15 minutes without a valid excuse—the supervisor can declare a "Late Withdrawal" or a default, which effectively results in a walkover for the opponent.
We saw a version of this with Jenson Brooksby a few years back when he was suspended for "whereabouts" failures (missing drug tests). If a player is suspended or disqualified shortly before a match starts, the opponent moves through via walkover.
The Ethical Dilemma: Showing Up Just to Retire
There’s a reason the ATP and WTA changed their prize money rules recently. In the past, players would often walk onto the court knowing they were hurt, play two games, and then retire. Why? Because if they withdrew before the match (a walkover), they might lose their prize money.
Now, at Grand Slams, there is the "On-Site Withdrawal" rule. A player can withdraw before their first-round match and still collect 50% of the prize money. The other 50% goes to the Lucky Loser who replaces them. This prevents "fake" matches where a player clearly can't compete but wants the paycheck.
However, this only applies to the first round. Once you’re in the second or third round, if you’re hurt, you have to decide: do I give the walkover or do I try to play one game?
Most pros today choose the walkover. It’s more respectful to the fans and the opponent. Walking out just to quit after ten minutes is widely considered "bad form" in the modern locker room.
Summary of Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're following a tournament and see a walkover on the horizon, here is how you should handle it:
- Check Social Media Immediately: Tournament apps are often slow. Follow beat reporters like Christopher Clarey or accounts like Jose Morgado on X (formerly Twitter). They usually hear the rumors of a withdrawal before the official announcement.
- Ticket Refunds: If you have tickets for a specific session and the "main event" is cancelled due to a walkover, check the tournament’s "inclement weather and schedule change" policy. Usually, you aren't entitled to a refund if other matches still take place on that court, but some tournaments offer grounds passes for a future day as a gesture of goodwill.
- Betting Hedges: If you hear your player is struggling with an injury before a match, and you have a large stake on them, try to cash out if the platform allows it. Once the walkover is official, the bet is void, but if they start the match and retire after one game, you might lose your entire stake depending on the bookie's rules.
- Watch the "Practice Courts": If you are physically at a tournament, and you notice a star player has cancelled their practice session or left the court after 10 minutes looking somber, a walkover is likely incoming. This is the "insider" way to predict changes before the scoreboard does.
Tennis is a game of endurance as much as skill. The walkover is the ultimate proof that sometimes, the body wins before the opponent does. It’s a frustrating part of the sport, but it’s the price we pay for the incredible physicality of the modern game.