Hi dear reader, welcome! Today we will be talking about a sport in which two to four players use rackets to hit a ball over a net that is spread out across the court. If that does not ring a bell, let us be clear: Tiny green balls and lots of aggressive hits with rackets.
If tennis came to your mind, you are correct! Today we will discuss tennis and show you some fun facts about the sport; more specifically, we will talk about walkovers in tennis. If you want to learn more about these things, keep reading!
What Is Tennis?
It is a racket sport played between two teams of two players or a single player versus a single opponent. A flat rubber ball wrapped in felt is swung by each player over a net and into the other team’s court using a tennis racket that is cord strung.
The game’s goal is to move the ball in a way that prevents the other team from playing a legal return. The player unable to return the ball successfully will not receive a point; instead, the opponent will. One of the most well-liked individual sports in the world is this sport.
Men and women of all ages enjoy playing this sport. It is a fantastic activity for socializing with friends while staying active. It is a non-contact game that can be played by anybody, regardless of age, and it improves hand-eye coordination.
History of Tennis
Amazingly, this sport has a long history, dating back several thousand years. Therefore, those involved in historical studies of this wonderful sport assert that they have discovered proof that this sport was played in ancient Greek culture. Real tennis is a sophisticated indoor racket-and-ball game rooted in a handball game played in France in the 12th and 13th centuries called jeu de paume (“game of the palm”).
This historical sport, known as real tennis in Britain, court tennis in the United States, and royal tennis in Australia, is still occasionally practiced today. European monks invented the game in the beginning for ceremonial events as amusement. The ball was initially struck with hands. The leather glove was developed afterward. This leather glove was substituted with an adaptable grip for efficient hitting and serving of the ball.
The tennis racquet was born at that time. Millions of people play this sport in modern times in clubs and open courts. When the major championships were made open to professionals and amateurs in the late 1960s, the sport experienced its most rapid growth as a spectator and participant.
This growth continued into the 1970s when television broadcasts of the growing professional tournament circuits and the emergence of some notable players and rivalries expanded the game’s appeal.
Tennis balls and tennis racquets have both undergone extensive development. Wood made up the first tennis ball. The surge was driven and fed by several significant equipment and fashion advancements.
This sports attire, which was previously only available in white, was given color and flair, resulting in a completely new category of leisure clothes. Traditionally white balls of this support are now available in various colors, with yellow being the most popular.
The origin of this contemporary sport is a subject of much debate; however, Major Walter Clopton Wingfield introduced the sport in 1873 and was recognized on the official 100th anniversary of the game in 1973. Although historians have found that similar games were played earlier, he produced the first book of rules that year and obtained a patent for his game in 1874.
How to Play Tennis?
This sport, sometimes known as lawn tennis, is considered to be one of the most physically taxing games. This sport has produced numerous international icons, from Rod Laver and Martina Navratilova to Pete Sampras, Steffi Graf, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Serena Williams.
A standard tennis ball should weigh between 56 and 59.4 grams and have a diameter of 6.5 to 6.86 cm, according to the International Tennis Federation (ITF). Although most balls are yellow, they should be either yellow or white.
A tennis racket cannot be wider than 31.7 cm or longer than 73.7 cm. The racket must have a handle and a frame with strong strings often made of nylon and interlaced in a crossing and bonded pattern.
For singles play, the tennis court is 78 by 27 feet (23.8 by 8.2 meters), and for doubles play, it is 78 by 36 feet (23.8 by 11.0 meters). The net is supported at each side of the court by posts that are 3.5 feet (1.1 meters) high and situated 3 feet outside the court. The net at the center is 3 feet (0.91 meters) tall.
To choose a side and serve, competitors toss a coin or spin a racket. The winner may opt to choose a side or choose to serve or receive service first. Every odd number of games, the players switch sides and serve alternate games. The serving player must remain within the confines of the sideline, center mark, and baseline on his side of this sports court.
The server must throw the ball up with his non-playing hand and strike it with the racket before it bounces to complete a serve. For a service to be considered legal, the ball must cross the net and rest inside the serving area, designated on the court’s diagonally opposing side.
The server strikes the ball horizontally across the net and into the player’s right-hand service court at the start of each game while standing behind their right-hand court with both feet. There are two serves for every point for each participant. A service fault happens when a player touches the net or the ball has its first bounce outside the serving area. The server has a new service to start the point in these cases.
A foot fault occurs when the server’s foot touches the baseline or crosses the sideline, in which case the server receives a second serve. A player is said to have committed a double fault and the receiving player is awarded that point if they also make a mistake on their second serve.
The receiver serves back by hitting the ball inside the confines of the opposition’s court and over the net. The point proceeds till a player fails to make an accurate return after the service has been properly returned, at which point the players may volley the ball or strike it after its initial bounce.
How to Gain Points in Tennis?
The server starts at any point, and it is up to the receiver to correctly complete the point. A player must make a shot before the ball bounces or after the first bounce to score a point.
The player who took the very last shot gets the point if the ball bounces two times. In a doubles game, the receiving side gets to select the initial receiver, and after that, each subsequent point is received alternately by the two members of the team.
To win the game, a player needs to win by a margin of two and by four points. The scoring system, adapted from actual tennis and dates back to the middle ages, goes 15, 30, and 40 games. Why three points equal 40 instead of 45 has never been fully explained.
A player or team must score four points to win a match. Every game begins at zero, or what is known as love in this sport. It is said to have its origins in the French word “oeuf,” which means “egg.” As the server’s score is called first, 30-15 denotes a two-to-one advantage for the server, whereas 15-30 denotes a two-to-one advantage for the receiver.
The game continues until a player first gets “advantage” and then the two-point difference for “game” if both players reach 40, at which point the score is referred to be “deuce.” To win a game, a person or team must score two straight points after the half.
What Are Tennis Shots?
There are specific shots of this sport that a player needs to learn to play this sport competitively. Each of these shots has a variety that may fit a player’s style of play or strengths. The forehand and backhand are the two most often used shots in this sport.
A forehand is used when a right-handed player raises his right hand to strike the ball from the right side of his body. A backhand is a shot made from the left side of the body by a right-handed player crossing his right arm across his body. There are types of forehand and backhand.
Topspin Forehand and Backhands: To create a topspin on the forehand and backhand, the player rubs up and over the top of the ball in this sport. By doing this, players may hit the ball harder while still guaranteeing that it returns to the court. The three forehand grips—eastern, semi-western, and western—are this sport’s mostly used grips. There are benefits and drawbacks to each grip. Nevertheless, the semi-western forehand grip is by far the most popular nowadays.
Flat Forehand and Backhand: When a player hits a forehand or backhand with little to no topspin, it is said to be flat. When an opponent’s reaction time is limited, a player will serve a flat forehand or backhand.
When you use a topspin groundstroke, the ball strikes the court and bounces up and in your opponent’s direction, usually giving them more time to react. However, flat strokes with little topspin will virtually skid over the court rather than bounce high.
Slice Forehand & Backhand: The opposite of a topspin stroke is a slice on the forehand or backhand. A slice shot is made by brushing below the tennis ball and producing a backspin, as opposed to rubbing up and over the tennis ball. When a player cuts the ball with their racket, angled crosswise toward the court, they make a slice. Typically, the slice is employed to slow down a rally’s speed.
Drop shot: A drop shot occurs when a player slows down to direct the ball just from above the net and over to the opposing side. When their opponent is at the baseline, players use the drop shot, which is a more skilled shot.
Drop shots are challenging to perform since they frequently indicate a sense of surprise and excellent ball control or “touch.” When the opposition player is positioned along the baseline, a drop shot is typically used because recovering it would require them to travel quite a distance.
The Lob: A high shot is a lob. One of two things typically causes it to be hit. One is a defensive move to buy time to reposition on the tennis court, while the other is to smash the tennis ball just out of range of an opponent at the net. So, by over-closing, your adversary gives you the chance to lob them. A simple forehand or backhand that is lobbed landing deep in the court, near the baseline, well over the opponent’s head.
The Serve: Every point begins with a serve, which players execute from either the deuce court, which is situated to the right of the middle line while facing the net at the baseline or the ad court, which is situated to the left of the center mark.
To acquire the best angle possible, the tennis player typically throws the ball into the air and strikes it at its highest point. Professional athletes frequently hit serves that are nearly difficult to return at speeds well above 100 mph. An ace is a service that the opposing player is unable to return.
What Does Walkover Mean in Tennis?
A walkover win may be claimed if a match has been scheduled but is postponed with less than 24 hours notice or if a player arrives more than 30 minutes late for an established match without explaining. Therefore, according to the walkover rule loser is the player who calls off the matches, and the winner is his or her opponent.
Walkover is a code violation. The WTA, ATP, and USTA referees will issue walkovers as a code violation. When a walkover happens, the opponent immediately moves on to the next round of the competition. Since the match was not played, neither a win nor a defeat occurred, but when a walkover occurs in this sport, ranking points are recorded on the stat line.
Does Walkover Count as a Win?
The phrase “won by walkover” is used in tennis, however, it has no bearing on a player’s win-loss record. A walkover does not register as a match win or match loss for either player, according to a WTA representative, meaning it has no bearing on their win-loss record. Yet, retirements affect the players’ perception of the game’s outcome.
A victory by a walkover earns two points. But take note: In a walkover situation, you do not gain the additional point if you are competing in one of the short-format competitions where both players receive points for finishing the match!
When two players agree to a walkover, the tennis match cannot be rescheduled due to a walkover because a walkover essentially means that one of the competing players or doubles teams wins the match without any opposition.
Difference between Walkover and…?
Difference between walkover and retirement: Walkover and retirement are not the same. All tennis league regulations provide that a player must retire if they cannot finish a game due to sickness, injury, or urgent personal matter.
Retirement can only happen during a tennis match; while a walkover can also happen for the same reason, the crucial distinction is that a walkover takes place before the play. So, these things differentiate walkovers from retirement.
Difference between walkover and withdrawal: Walkover and withdrawal are not the same. Tennis players who leave a tournament before their opening match and do not return are said to have withdrawn from the competition. An accident, illness, or emergency are a few causes of withdrawal. A walkover takes place when the opening tennis match is about to begin or later in a tournament. So, these things differentiate walkover from withdrawal.
Difference between walkover and default: Walkover and default are not the same. A walkover happens when a player doesn’t show up to play the match, which is the main distinction between a walkover and a default. On the other hand, a default results from that player’s conduct before, during, or after a game. A walkover usually happens because that tennis player failed to attend that tennis match. So, these matter when it comes to the difference between walkover and default.
Examples of Walkover in Tennis
There are some examples of a walkover in tennis that we want to mention. The first example of a walkover is this; due to an injury, Matteo Berrettini was given a free entry into the quarterfinals of the 2021 Roland Garros when Roger Federer was forced to surrender his match against him in the round of 16.
Another example of a walkover is this; after hurting her leg during a news conference following her first-round victory at Roland Garros in 2021, Petra Kvitova was compelled to offer Elena Vesnina a walkover in the second round.
One of the most famous examples of a walkover is between Naomi Osaka and Victoria Azarenka. Naomi Osaka and Victoria Azarenka were competing in a tennis match when Naomi was forced to withdraw due to a hamstring injury, making Victoria the “champion by walkover.”
While a “victory by walkover” does not count as a win and a “loss by walkover” does not count as a loss, the WTA later rectified this. The fact that this match took place in 2020 and that it is the only tennis walkover in the last round since 2018 is another interesting feature of this walkover.
When Are Walkovers Awarded?
If a player withdraws from a tournament before the first round of play begins, replacement players are drawn in their place. Given the unpredictability of the tour, walkovers frequently occur in tennis.
The likelihood of walkovers increases as a tournament progresses since there is no longer a way to substitute an injured or unavailable opponent. For various reasons, including contracting an illness or injury in the middle of a tournament or failing to recuperate in time between games, players frequently find themselves unable to compete in matches.
History of Walkover Rule in Tennis
Since 1830, the English language has contained the word “walkover.” The term “walkover” was initially used in the sport of horse racing in the United Kingdom, where it denoted that a rider had to cross the finish line on foot to be declared the winner.
In essence, this victory was simple, and the marathon’s finish line was reachable on foot. The term made its way into tennis in the early 1900s to denote how a player couldn’t win a match if they did not participate. The United Kingdom is not too distant from France and is considered the home of tennis, as we have previously mentioned.
Conclusion
This is all from us, everybody! We have talked about the sport where two to four players use rackets to hit a ball over a net spread out across the court, or should we say tiny green balls and lots of aggressive hits with rackets.
A walkover is one of the potential scenarios in a tennis match, which essentially means that one of the competing players or doubles teams wins the game without any opposition. During any tournament stage, walkovers are granted to a player or team if their opponent(s) relinquishes a match or is/are disqualified before the commencement of a specific match.
We hope you liked our article about the walkover rule and that you feel properly informed about the walkover rule in tennis, take care of yourself!
