A walkover is a win awarded without the match being played, because the opponent withdrew before it started or was not allowed to play. In tennis, the ATP's 2026 rulebook records a walkover when a match did not begin because the losing player was ill or injured, or was barred from playing under the Code of Conduct or by the supervisor. The player who goes through gets ranking points and prize money as if the match had been played.
No ball is hit, so bets on the match itself are commonly void, though your bookmaker's terms decide. In everyday speech a walkover is also any one-sided win, but only a match never played settles as a walkover.
Walkovers in tennis, esports and racing
In tennis, the ATP does not count a lucky loser or alternate taking the withdrawn player's place as a walkover, because the match is still played; bets on the original pairing are then commonly void.
In esports a walkover, often called a forfeit, means a team did not play a scheduled match and its opponent went through. Some bookmakers void the match bet because no map was played and others settle it on the official result, as esports betting in Australia sets out.
In thoroughbred racing, a race with only one runner is a walk-over under the Australian Rules of Racing. The horse is deemed the winner and gets half the winner's prize money, or none if the Stewards find it was arranged (AR 215).
What a walkover does to your bets
Say you have $40 on Player A at $1.65 (an illustrative price), and Player B withdraws before the first serve:
| Bet | Common rule type | The illustrative bet |
|---|---|---|
| Head to head on the match | Void | $40 back |
| Set betting, game handicaps and total games on the match | Void: no point was played | Stakes back |
| A multi with the match as one leg | That leg counts as 1.00 | $10 at $1.65 and $2.10 returns $10 x 2.10 = $21.00 if the other leg wins |
| Tournament winner on the player who goes through | Stands: still in the draw | Unchanged |
| Tournament winner on the player who withdrew | Loses once they have played a match; before that, the market's all-in or non-starter rule decides | Check the terms |
NSW's Bookmaker Declared Betting Events Betting Rules have no walkover clause. They do count a tennis match as started with the first serve (5.2.8.1), and they refund bets on an event cancelled before it begins (5.1.10).
Walkover or retirement
| Walkover | Retirement | |
|---|---|---|
| When it happens | Before the first serve | After the match has started |
| The ATP's word for it | Walkover | Retired |
| Bets on the match | Commonly void | One of several rule types: void unless completed, standing once a set is complete, or standing once play starts |
If a player retires instead, the NSW rule book refunds single bets on the match and re-prices multis on the remaining legs (5.2.8.3). One retirement can void a bet at one bookmaker and settle it at another. Tennis retirement rules works each rule type through one match, and tennis betting covers the rest of the markets.
Comparing tennis head to head prices
A walkover returns the stake, and any bet on the next round is a new bet at the price on offer then.
Tennis is one of the sports on B337's Terminal, where each bookmaker's head to head price on a match sits in its own column; the sports betting overview covers the other markets. The Terminal shows prices from 40+ bookmakers across racing and sports. Prices can lag the bookmaker's own, so confirm your price first. A free account opens a limited view of the Terminal with live odds.
Risk: Betting involves risk. A walkover voids a match bet but does nothing for a tournament bet on the player who withdrew, which can still lose. See responsible gambling for limits and support.