Players enraged by ATP doubles death plan Inbox

Doubles specialists are up in arms about ATP plans leaked during Wimbledon that would scale back the doubles event to a mere sideshow.

A controversial initiative revealed that men’s tennis bosses – the outfit is led by former Italian journeyman player Andrea Gaudenzi – intend to almost wipe the team game from tournament lineups in time for the 2028 season.

Andrea Gaudenzi

Under the slash-and-burn scenario, doubles fields at the Masters 1000 level would be cut in half to 16 teams and shrivel to eight only at the lower-tier 500 and 250 levels.

No decent explanation of the plan has yet been provided, with players flailing in the dark over draconian strategy.

The matter could well end up in court in the ATP’s litigious home base in the US.

“Their way to tackle it is to just get rid of all doubles players and have singles guys play doubles, which I don’t think is the right decision,” British 2025 Wimbledon doubles winner Lloyd Glasspool said.

His partner Julien Cash added: “It’s something that all the doubles players are united on.

“We hope it doesn’t go as far as legal action but if it has to then I know that we’re all on board to do so.”

Prize money could also take a big hit, with the current 80/20 split with singles cut to 90/10.

The world No. 1 pair of Harri Heliovaara and Brit Henry Patten – Wimbledon winners in 2024 – were also knocked back by the proposal of doom for doubles 

The said players had not been informed about details of the possible restructuring.

“It’s very difficult because all of those decisions have taken place behind closed doors, even the ATP Council members were unaware of these plans,” Patten said.

“It makes dialogue extremely difficult when those decisions and discussions are happening behind closed doors in the ATP.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty right now about whether it’s going to be viable to be a professional doubles player after 2028.”

The ATP dipped into the corporate-speak grab-bag by way of an explanation.

The sanctioning body did not hide the fact that it was all about the money: less for doubles means more to pay out as singles prize money, ciring the tired old excuse of cost pressures.

“Any potential changes will be developed through close consultation with players, tournaments and the ATP Board with any decisions made in the best long-term interests of the sport and its consumers,” the legalese-heavy ATP statement read.

“Doubles isn’t a carnival sideshow. It is one of the most successful parts of tennis – integral to the amateur game – with the potential to do so much more,” the player statement said.

“Yet the impact of the ATP’s proposals will be to diminish the sporting excellence that is professional doubles and turn off the pipeline of pro doubles players and the entire infrastructure that supports them.

“Doubles is not an afterthought we fell into. It has always been part of this sport’s identity, not a discount version of it.”

They added: “Do the maths on what that means for anyone outside the top 30: it will be impossible to make a living.

“This is not a minor adjustment. It is a plan to end doubles as a viable profession, dressed up as a cost-saving measure.

“It is being pushed through with almost no transparency and almost no consultation with the players whose careers and livelihoods are on the line.”

Main photo:- Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakins winning Australian Open doubles in 2022 by Roger Parker/ISF Ltd