What Is a Walkover in Tennis?

min read
What is a walkover in tennis?
(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Chase Kiddy @chaseakiddy Jul 11, 2024, 7:21 AM

Tennis is a year-round sport, which means new fans (and new tennis odds bettors) are always popping up.

That means many new fans and bettors are often looking for specific definitions regarding important tennis terms.

What Is a Walkover in Tennis?

In layman’s terms, a walkover is a pre-match forfeit.

In tennis, there are two ways to voluntarily forfeit a match. A walkover is the pre-game variant, which happens when a player informs the umpire that they do not wish to play their scheduled match. (The other kind, which is the in-game variant, is a retirement.)

Typically, this is most common for players who feel they are too injured to play.

Walkover In Tennis: What Does Walkover Mean In Tennis?

Walkovers are so named because the forfeiting player literally “walks over” to the net to inform their opponent and/or the chair umpire that they do not wish to play in their scheduled match.

BetMGM Walkover Rules

BetMGM’s current tennis rules read, “In the event of a tennis match not taking place or if a player is given a walkover, bets on this match are cancelled.”

US Open Odds at BetMGM

BetMGM is the premier online sportsbook for tennis betting, especially during Grand Slam tournaments like the US Open.

While you’re watching Stefanos Tsitsipas’ semifinal match on TV, streaming an Iga Świątek-Serena Williams match on your computer, or tracking scores on your phone, you can bet on tennis odds. And with live sports betting, there’s never a break in the action; you can place live bets during each match.

Visit the sportsbook today for all online sports betting opportunities for the US Open!

Visit the sportsbook for updated odds, the best sportsbook promos — including BetMGM’s welcome offer — and more.

BetMGM First Bet Offer $1,500
About the Author

Chase Kiddy

Read More @chaseakiddy

Chase Kiddy is a writer for BetMGM and co-host of The Lion's Edge, an NFL and college football podcast available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and everywhere else. He has also written for a number of print and online outlets, including the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Washington Post, Daily News-Record, and HERO Sports. His first novel, Cave Paintings, is in development.

Chase Kiddy is a writer for BetMGM and co-host of The Lion's Edge, an NFL and college football podcast available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and everywhere else. He has also written for a number of print and online outlets, including the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Washington Post, Daily News-Record, and HERO Sports. His first novel, Cave Paintings, is in development.