Doubles professionals warn of the financial difficulties players face. In a joint statement by several doubles specialists, it says:
"Calculate for yourself what this means for everyone outside the top 30: It will be impossible to make a living from it. It is a plan to eliminate doubles as a viable profession – disguised as a cost-saving measure."
Es beginnt ja im Normalfall niemand Tennis zu spielen und sagt, ich will Doppelspieler werden.
Antonitsch, who himself won five doubles titles on the ATP Tour between 1985 and 1994, tries to calm the mood in this debate:
"There will be changes. There will also be reallocations of prize money. A portion of the current doubles prize money is to be distributed to qualification and the early rounds. What has come from the ATP now was an outlook on which direction things could go. I would venture to say it won't be as bad as it sounds. We love doubles, but I also recognize the problems associated with it."
Doubles "has become a separate sport"
Another problem is that singles and doubles have become increasingly estranged from each other in recent years. More and more players specialize in doubles early on and do not try to pursue a singles career.
"I'm in favor of speaking openly about this. That there is an extension of a career, like with Bolelli, Zeballos, or Granollers, is super cool. Or players who have at least worked their way up to Challenger level in singles and then become doubles specialists – that's definitely okay too. But there are also players with a career high in singles of over 800 and in doubles they are in the top 30. Meanwhile, this has developed into a completely separate sport. Normally, no one starts playing tennis and says, 'I want to be a doubles player.' I assume that much."
According to Antonitsch, a possible solution could be implemented in the early stages of players' careers.
"The pathway for doubles should definitely be changed. It would be an idea, for example, if one could only start in doubles at ITF Futures or Challenger tournaments with a certain singles ranking (not a doubles ranking)," is the suggestion.
Indeed, some players of the current doubles elite have not achieved significant success in singles. The newly crowned Wimbledon champions and leaders in the ATP doubles world ranking, Harri Heliövaara and Henry Patton, have career-high singles rankings of 194 and 462 respectively.
Even four-time Grand Slam champion and current world No. 5 in doubles, Neil Skupski, has a career-high singles ranking of only 932. His statistics show not a single documented ATP-level singles match.
"We have people who don't want to play singles anymore and don't even try to get up in singles – not like it used to be. Our best doubles players also all played singles. Julian Knowle, Alex Peya, Oliver Marach – they were all Top 100. We don't even need to talk about Jürgen Melzer, he was Top Ten in both rankings," Antonitsch praises the Austrian doubles elite.
"Then there are doubles specialists who – I'm careful here – relatively easily reach the top. I understand every tennis player who sees this as a business, tries to establish themselves in singles, and eventually gets stuck at position 200 or 250. These are great tennis players who then say: 'I'll try doubles.' Suddenly they earn money, have an income," Antonitsch illustrates.
"No market for doubles"
Another problem is the marketing of doubles. The ATP considers the competition less attractive.
Television rights also play a role here, as Antonitsch explains: "We sometimes had a problem, when Dominic Thiem played doubles, whether we were allowed to show it on TV. Internationally, only singles matches are sold. Apparently, we can't find a buyer for doubles, so we are passengers."
"Veränderungen wird es geben, aber ich glaube nicht, dass sie in der Auswirkung so radikal sind."
Communication Problems
In a statement, doubles professionals also complained about a lack of and intransparent communication.
"These plans are being pushed through with almost no transparency and almost no consultation with the stakeholders whose careers and livelihoods are at stake."
The tournament director of the Generali Open counters this criticism: "It's not that doubles players weren't involved, just not all of them. The representatives of the doubles players were informed. In the ATP, no decision will be made without players. It's still split 50/50. 50 percent players, 50 percent tournaments. The representatives in the Players Council were definitely informed that something would happen."
It remains to be seen with great anticipation how this issue develops in the coming months and years. It definitely remains a very emotionally charged discussion for many professionals. According to Antonitsch, changes are necessary, but in what form and to what extent remains to be seen:
"For me, doubles is still, especially on clay, super cool and beautiful. But a way must be found to adapt it. I can't imagine going from 16 to eight pairs in the first step; probably, they will go to twelve first. There will be changes, but I don't believe their impact will be that radical."
