What Does Walkover In Tennis Mean?

Walkover in tennis means winning a match without having to play. This can happen if your opponent withdraws from the match or if they are unable to continue playing due to injury.

The Basic Rules of Tennis

Tennis is a sport that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and skill levels. It is a great way to get some exercise and spend time with friends or family. Tennis can be played singles or doubles, and the basic rules are the same for both. In order to win a game of tennis, a player must score more points than their opponent.

Scoring

In tennis, scoring happens in games, with sets comprised of multiple games. To win a game, the first player or team to score four points wins that game, unless both players or teams have three points each, in which case the score is “deuce” and play continues until one player or team has a two-point lead.

The first player or team to win six games wins a set, unless both players or teams have won five games each, in which case the set goes to a tiebreaker (discussed below). A match is typically comprised of best-of-three sets for men and best-of-five sets for women, though professional tournaments sometimes use best-of-five sets for men as well.

To start a game, one player serves the ball from behind the baseline on one side of the net to the other player who must receive it inside the service box on their side of the net. After each point is played, the server alternates serving to the opposite side until they’ve served twice (a total of four serves), at which point they alternate sides and get two more serves. If at any point during a game one of the players scores four points before their opponent scores any points (this is called a “bagel”), that player wins that game 6-0.

The Serve

The serve is the most important stroke in tennis. It begins the point, sets the tone for the rally, and can be a match-winner. The four main types of serves are the flat serve, the slice serve, the topspin serve, and the kick (or short-hop) serve.

The flat serve is hit with no spin and is intended to stay low and go through the service box without bouncing. The slice serve is hit with backspin and moves from left to right (for a right-handed player) or from right to left (for a left-handed player). The topspin serve is hit with forward spin and bounces high after it hits the ground. The kick (or short-hop) serve is hit with topspin or backspin and bounces very low after it hits the ground.

The Return

To start a point, the server stands behind the baseline, anywhere on their right-hand side for a right-handed player, or left-hand side for a left-handed player. They must then hit the ball diagonally across the net into their opponents’ service box. After a legal serve, the receiver becomes the server’s opponent and tries to hit the ball back before it bounces twice. The rally continues until one player is unable to hit the ball back before it hits the ground, or hits it out of bounds.

A return is a shot in tennis played after the ball has been served and bounced once on each side of the court. The purpose of the return is to put the ball into play so that both players can take part in the point (rally). A return can be hit with any part of the racket except for the frame and is considered an offensive shot.

What is a Walkover?

A “walkover” (or “W.O.”) is the awarding of a match to a player who is scheduled to play an opponent who withdraws or is disqualified before the start of the match.

When is a Walkover Awarded?

A walkover, also W.O. or w/o (derived from the former “without”) is the awarding of a victory to a competitor because there are no other eligible competitors, or because the other competitors have been disqualified, or have forfeited, or have withdrawn from the event. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) recognizes three types of walkovers:

-Voluntary: when a player(s) withdraws from an event before their first match has been completed.
-Involuntary: when a player(s) is defaulted for failure to compete or be ready to compete when called upon to do so.
-Disqualified: when a player(s) is disqualified from an event for misconduct during the tournament.

The win by walkover is recorded as 6–0, 6–0 in both men’s and women’s singles competition in professional and amateur tennis. In professional tournaments it is common for the score to be given as “W/O” without specifying the underlying reason; however in some cases commentators will state that a particular player withdrew due to injury (DNP – did not play).

What are the Consequences of a Walkover?

In tennis, “walkover” means the same thing as “default”. A walkover occurs when a player is unable to take their turn to play, usually because they have been injured or have had to withdraw from the tournament for some other reason.

The consequences of a walkover can be serious, especially if it happens in a professional match. If a player is unable to complete a match, they may be fined or even banned from future tournaments. In some cases, a walkover can also result in points being deducted from a player’s ranking.

Famous Walkovers in Tennis History

A walkover, in tennis, is the award of a victory to a player or team who wins a match without losing a point, due to the withdrawal, disqualification, unavailability, or refusal of the opposing player or team. It is usually the result of the withdrawal of a player who is injured or ill, or who is otherwise unable to complete the match.

John McEnroe vs. Tom Gullikson, 1984

In tennis, a “walkover” (abbreviated WO or w/o) means the abandonment of a match by a player. It also refers to the automatic awarding of the victory to the opposing player of an unplayed match (due to withdrawal, disqualification or other scenarios).

A walkover is usually issued when a player cannot continue playing due to an injury or other reasons. In some tournaments, a walkover also occurs if a player advances to the next round without having to play their match (e.g. by receiving a bye).

The term “walkover” can also be used in other sports, such as horse racing and golf.

Rafael Nadal vs. Richard Gasquet, 2005

Rafael Nadal and Richard Gasquet met in the third round of the 2005 French Open, with Nadal winning in straight sets. However, the match is most remembered for Gasquet’s post-match comment to chair umpire Pascal Maria, in which he – somewhat jokingly – asked if he could have Maria’s autograph, because Gasquet believed he would “never forget this day”.

Novak Djokovic vs. Philipp Kohlschreiber, 2016

Philipp Kohlschreiber defaulted the match while down 6-3, 1-0 to Djokovic due to a left eye injury.