Court of Appeals: Can a player return to a match after retiring?

A handshake agreement goes awry.



STUTTGART, GERMANY - APRIL 20: Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil and Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan shake hands at the net after Rybakina is forced to retire due to injury in second round of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix Stuttgart 2023 at Porsche Arena on April 20, 2023 in Stuttgart, Germany (Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images)
© 2023 Robert Prange

At the 4-1 changeover my opponent said she wanted to retire. Shocked, I asked her if she was serious. She said yes. We shook hands. After this she went to the bench, sat down, then stated she wanted a Medical Timeout. She started arguing that when she shook hands, she was only thinking of retiring. Was the match over or not?—Amy Petrow, Tucson, AZ

Your opponent can get all the rest or treatment she wants now because this match is history. The Code, #2, says that shaking hands “is an acknowledgement that the match is over.” Note that this doesn't require a handshake for the match to be over, which is just as well in times of social distancing.