Retirement

A retirement is a player giving up a match in progress. The opponent wins, and the result is recorded with the score at the moment play stopped followed by "ret.", for example 6-3, 2-1 ret. Injury is the usual cause; illness and heat are others. If the player never takes the court at all, the result is a walkover instead.

When you see it

A retirement is often preceded by a medical timeout, the physiotherapist's three minutes of treatment on court. If the treatment does not work, the player shakes hands, or the medical staff make the call: under the Grand Slam Rule Book the physiotherapist or doctor can recommend to the referee that a player who is unable to compete be ruled out of a match "to be played, or retired from the match in progress". The opponent advances as if they had won normally. The retirement ends that match and the player's run in that event; a player who is also entered in doubles may continue there if the tournament doctor finds the condition sufficiently improved, as the ATP rules allow. At the majors the referee has the authority to withhold prize money, in whole or in part, from a player who retires or withdraws for any reason. On the ATP Tour, retirements during a tournament must go through the Supervisor.

Rule basis

Grand Slam Rule Book 2026, medical provisions and prize money for withdrawals and retirements; ATP Official Rulebook, Chapter VII, 7.02 (Entries): "Withdrawals, retirements or defaults during an ATP Tour or ATP Challenger Tour tournament must be made through the Supervisor."