Elina Svitolina withdrew before her August 18, 2026, match in Cincinnati, citing a right ankle injury, so Xiyu Wang advanced without playing, a result known as a walkover. On Polymarket’s U.S. platform, a contract on Wang paid 26 cents. A contract on Svitolina, the player who withdrew, paid 74 cents. August example
Polymarket’s international platform settled the same walkover at 50 cents on each side. The two platforms also split in a June walkover: the international contracts again paid 50 cents each, while the U.S. contracts paid 67 cents for the player who advanced and 33 cents for the player who withdrew. In both matches, the two platforms used different contract terms, and those terms, rather than the match result alone, decided what holders received. Verified venue records
When an opponent withdraws, the match result says only who advances. What a betting contract pays depends on its cancellation or walkover terms, and those terms can differ even for the same match.
Same match, different division of $1
Settlement cents per contract · each row totals 100 cents
Two walkovers, four different prices
In the June match, Matteo Arnaldi withdrew before playing Flavio Cobolli on June 5, citing a viral illness, and Cobolli advanced by walkover. U.S. contracts paid 67 cents for Cobolli and 33 cents for Arnaldi; international contracts paid 50 cents each. June example
On a hypothetical 1,000-contract position, the gap is easy to see. A Cobolli holder would receive $670 in the U.S. and $500 internationally, a $170 difference; an Arnaldi holder would receive $330 or $500.
What 1,000 contracts would pay
Illustrative position size × observed settlement price · USD
| Position | International | U.S. | U.S. minus international |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 Cobolli | $500 | $670 | +$170 |
| 1,000 Arnaldi | $500 | $330 | −$170 |
| 1,000 Svitolina | $500 | $740 | +$240 |
| 1,000 Wang | $500 | $260 | −$240 |
Cobolli: 1,000 × ($0.67 − $0.50) = $170
The August match reversed the order a reader might expect. U.S. contracts paid 26 cents for Wang, who advanced, and 74 cents for Svitolina, who withdrew, while international contracts again paid 50 cents on either side. A holder of 1,000 Svitolina contracts would receive $740 in the U.S. or $500 internationally; a holder of 1,000 Wang contracts would receive $260 or $500.
The contract wording sets the payout
The terms explain the split. The international walkover rule stated a 50-cent settlement. The June U.S. contract referred to last-traded prices, and the August contract referred to fair market price. A U.S. Sports FAQ, already live by March, said that a withdrawal before the first serve would use the last fair market prices as of the official announcement. Under those terms, both the valuation method and the moment it is applied decide the payout. Contract wording and FAQ
The wording changes the question a reader must ask
Paraphrases of the reviewed terms
| Document | Stated basis | Time anchor |
|---|---|---|
| International walkover terms | 50 cents per side | Fixed value |
| June U.S. contract | Last-traded prices | No cutoff stated in clause |
| August U.S. contract | Fair market price | No cutoff stated in clause |
| U.S. Sports FAQ · relevant pre-event rule | Last fair market prices | Official announcement |
The sporting result was the same in both matches: a player advanced without play. The payments were not. For a holder, the payout follows the wording of the specific contract, and Polymarket’s two platforms worded it differently.