Are you a fan of tennis betting? What will happen to your tennis bet at bet365 if one player retires from the match or is disqualified? If not then our guide to bet365 Tennis retirement rules (and the site’s popular bet365 Tennis Retirement Guarantee promotion) will clarify everything!

So, let’s begin with a look at the main rules regarding bet365 tennis retirements from matches when you have placed a bet on them at bet365.

What are Bet365 Tennis Retirement Rules?

Bet365 Sport has an extensive list of rules regarding retirement and disqualification in tennis matches in the Help section of the site. The key rules to know are as follows:

1. If a tennis match is not completed due to a player retiring, all bets made on that match will be void, and stakes will be returned to customers. Unless:
   1. A player is disqualified – In which case the player that progresses to the next round will be declared the winner of the match for betting purposes.
   2. The bet made has already been settled – In the case of a player retiring during a match after a bet made on the game has been settled then the settled result of the bet will count. For example, if the bet is on player A to win the match 3-0 in sets and at the time of the retirement, the set score is 1-1. The original bet cannot win, so the bet is already settled and will count.

You can read through the full list of Tennis Rules in bet365’s help section, which details the exact rules that cover every major tennis bet. 

However, there is an exception to this rule at bet365 for one particular, very popular tennis bet.

That exception is because of the player-friendly bet365 Tennis Retirement Guarantee!

What is Bet365 Tennis Retirement Guarantee?

Bet365 Sport has one promotion that directly relates to tennis match retirements and that is the bet365 Tennis Retirement Guarantee.

The bet365 tennis retirement guarantee is only applicable to pre-match bets made on the To Win Match market for singles matches on selected ATP and all WTA and Grand Slam events. 

The bet365 Tennis Retirement Guarantee works as follows:

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This is a win/win situation for bet365 customers when they bet on the pre-match To Win Match market with the betting site. 

If you bet on the player who retires, you will get your stake money back as per the standard bet365 tennis retirement rules.

However, if your player does not retire, you will get your stake money back AND be paid out as a winner, albeit in bet credits, rather than cash. As opposed to simply receiving your stake back as a voided bet.

That's a major benefit for customers using the bet365 tennis retirement rules!

As you can see, the bet365 Tennis Retirement Guarantee can have a tangible benefit for bets on this popular market compared to the standard outcome for games in which a player retires from the match.

Why do Tennis Players Typically Retire from Matches?

Since tennis players are finely honed athletes, it is generally rare for them to be involved in a match that sees a player retire from the match.

When this happens it is usually down to one of two possible causes: illness or injury.

Of real interest to punters may be a little research about the types of injuries players tend to suffer from on certain surfaces. There can be quite a difference in the more likely type of injury to occur to a player playing on clay, than on grass or hard courts and vice versa.

I. Illness – 20% of retirements

Most tennis players are hardy souls and will battle through minor illnesses, or more detrimental ones, if they can. 

Players tend not to retire if they have a cold, or minor ailment. 

However, if a player is very poorly during a match, then they may be forced to retire.

Illnesses that are more likely to result in a retirement include stomach aches/cramps, viruses, flu and heat-related conditions, such as heat stroke, heat exhaustion or similar. 

These last issues, while rare, only occur in those tournaments played during very hot and humid conditions, often when matches are scheduled for the hottest part of the day.

II. Injury – 80% of retirements

An intriguing 2016 study published in Sports Health, revealed some of the key trends regarding retirements from matches on the United States Tennis Association Pro Circuit. Some of the findings were surprising and have implications for those who will often bet on tennis matches.

The report found a number of intriguing facts about injuries to male and female tennis players, including:

• Out of the 89 competitions that formed part of the study, 27 saw players withdraw or retire from games due to illness or injury. (18 men's tournaments, 9 women’s tournaments).
• The average age of injured tennis players in these tournaments was 24.4 for men and 22.3 for women.
• Male players are more likely to be injured than female players (1.88 male injuries for every one female injury).
• Women players tend to be injured more in the first half of a season, than the second.
• Women players are injured more often on clay courts.
• Muscular or tendon injuries were six times more likely to occur than any other form of injury for both male and female players. 
• Injuries for male players peaked during the months players could qualify for Grand Slam tournaments.

Additionally, the report discovered some key data about injuries on particular surfaces. Let’s take a look at some of these key findings for each surface in more detail.

Clay

• Longer rallies on clay courts lead to more upper limb, shoulder and back injuries to the greater movement and number of shots played per game.
• The fact players can slide on clay to reach balls can lead to an increase in groin and adductor injuries.
• Women players are more likely to suffer injuries on clay compared to any other surface.

Grass

• As the slippiest of the three surfaces, grass surfaces see players suffer more muscular strains in the upper legs and gluteals. This can be caused by overstretching or by slipping on the surface.
• As the ball keeps lower on grass, players can also suffer lower back problems due to having to bend lower to reach the ball. 
• The sharp changes of direction, stopping suddenly, twisting and suchlike can cause problems with the knee.
• If players slide on grass and stretch to reach low balls, issues with Achilles tendons are more common.
• Players who like to serve and volley more often can see an increase in wrist injuries.

Hard Court

• The harder court underfoot absorbs less of the energy and means more pressure on a player's lower back and knee joints in particular, leading to more of this type of injury.
• Harder courts also tend to see players suffer with blisters, which may be uncomfortable initially but when exacerbated, can make it very difficult for a player to continue.
• Other forms of foot injury and pain are more common on hard courts.

It is clear that this information can be useful for tennis betting fans who want to try and avoid betting on matches where there is a chance of a player retiring from the game.

What Happens in the case of a Tennis Player being Disqualified?

At bet365 Sport, unlike many other sites that will simply void a bet on a match if it is not completed due to a disqualification, customers who have backed the player who is not disqualified in this contest are paid out as a winning bet.

That's an important part of the bet365 Tennis Retirement rules!

This is the case at any point of the match, whether just a few points have been played or if the match is near completion. 

Of course, bets placed on the disqualified player are deemed losers as this player will not progress into the next round of the competition and has, in effect, lost the match through their disqualification.

What’s the Difference Between a Retirement and Walkover in Tennis?

That’s a good question and an easy one to answer!

A walkover is when a tennis player withdraws from playing their next tournament match before the game starts. Their opponent then automatically receives a bye into the next round of the tournament.

In contrast, a retirement is when a tennis player withdraws from a match after it has started. This means both players have competed against each other for part of the game, but the end result sees the retiring player eliminated from the tournament and their opponent going into the next round, regardless of what the score was when play was ended.

Remember if you back a player in a tennis game, under the bet365 tennis retirement guarantee, if their opponent retires, you will receive your stake back as cash and your winnings as bet credits!

How Often Do Tennis Retirements or Withdrawals Occur?

It should be remembered that tennis players typically retire as a last resort, when they have exhausted other means that may allow them to continue. For example, by taking an injury time out and receiving treatment from a physio.

So the bet365 Tennis Retirement Guarantee is not going to be used that much!

Data suggests that between two to five per cent of tennis matches in a typical season will see a player either withdraw before the match, or retire during it.

As such, the bet365 Tennis Retirement Guarantee may not be one that comes into effect for you all that often, but it is a feature which can certainly be beneficial to customers on the rare occasions that it is needed!

Always remember to gamble responsibly.

Check out bet365’s Safer Gambling page for more details.

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