The ATP Tour recently proposed changes that would see the doubles circuit revolutionised.
Doubles draws could be halved by 2028 and prize money for doubles players [as a portion of total prize money] could decrease from 20 to 10 per cent.
These proposals have prompted a collection of leading doubles players to state that doubles ‘isn’t a carnival sideshow.’
There has also been some friction between the singles and doubles players on the Tour.
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Patten recently joined Robin Haase – the 2013 Australian Open Men’s Doubles finalist – to discuss these matters in detail.
Robin Haase claims singles players have ‘no respect’ for the doubles game
Robin Haase has been a consistent feature on the ATP circuit since making his professional debut in 2005.
The Dutchman has gone on to achieve a top 35 ranking in singles, winning two titles.
He has also reached the 2013 Australian Open Men’s Doubles final and made multiple quarter-final appearances at the US Open.
Haase recently made an appearance on the Changeover Podcast, discussing the ATP proposed changes to the doubles Tour.
Amid the suggested cuts to doubles pay, Haase was asked: “When you were 30 in the world in singles, if the prize money in doubles was half what it was back then, would you have even taken the time to play doubles draws?”
“Yes, for me, 100 per cent.” Haase stated. “But that is because I think very differently than 90 per cent of the tour.
“And for me, tennis – first of all, I love to play the game. So, if it’s singles or doubles, I don’t mind. I had more fun playing singles, I admit. But that was just because I loved singles and I can only kind of let’s say blame it on myself.
“I was in a way like I can work on myself and that was just me, but be able to play and to be able to entertain, and then actually also do that with someone that you like and enjoy playing, I thought that was great.
“So, first of all, it was great for my singles as well because doubles is about serve-return volleys, quickness. I love that. If I didn’t play doubles, I would play, and I would practice anyway.
“So, for me, playing a match is the best practice you can ever have. So, all these things combined, I just love to play.”
Haase went on to discuss his commitment to ensuring that fans are entertained during his matches, before making a bold statement about the attitudes of singles players towards doubles.
“But furthermore, and I think that’s where people lose me in the way I think,” the Dutchman continued.
“The tournament organisation, they put a lot of money, they put a lot of effort, to organize the event. If I’m there, I give my fullest – singles or doubles.
“So I’m there to entertain and to actually make sure that people have a great match to watch.
“And nowadays these thoughts, they’re completely gone.
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“If you look at singles players, they don’t care,” Haase boldly claimed. “They pull out left and right, and they have— I would almost say— and it’s kind of harsh, but I would say they have no respect for the game or the crowd.
“And I think that’s really a pity.”
Haase is far from the first doubles player to comment on the over-arching matter at hand.
Bob and Mike Bryan, two of the greatest doubles players in history, recently hit out at the proposed changes.
“If it passes, this will kill the doubles dream for any young players or college players that want to pursue doubles,” Bob Bryan said, as reported by ESPN. “The pathway will be blocked to come up and make a living.
“The tour, from a financial standpoint, it looks like it’s the healthiest it’s ever been. They should be creating more opportunities for doubles players.”
“I’m not sure what they’re hoping to achieve out of it,” Lloyd Glasspool, the 2025 Wimbledon champion, also recently stated.
“They say it is a product issue but when singles players — who are known and have been marketed — step on the doubles court it is a packed crowd.”
Henry Patten has discussed the doubles proposals with Taylor Fritz, Flavio Cobolli and Felix Auger-Aliassime
Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara are the world number one doubles players.
The duo recently won their second Wimbledon titles, beating Mate Pavic and Marcelo Arévalo 7-6, 7-6 in the final.
Patten, from Colchester, Great Britain, revealed some of his conversations with top singles players regarding the proposed changes to the doubles circuit.
“I think we know what Reilly thinks about it [smiling]. It’s going to be hard to change his mind on anything,” Patten began, referring to his exchange with Reilly Opelka on social media.
“So at Wimbledon I’m lucky enough – because I’m a Brit – I won it before and I was one of the top seeds. I’m in like the members’ locker room, which is nothing special apart from the fact it’s got all of the top seeds, you know, singles and doubles.
“So all of the top guys kind of mixing around there. And so I did… I made a point.
“And the first thing that I was saying to them, which is exactly what Jody’s [podcast host] just said, which is, look, we’re not coming after you guys. We’re not here to fight against the singles players. We all think that you should be earning lots of money for what you do.
Doubles players are not the only ATP Tour participants who have taken issue with the governing body in recent months.
Many of the circuit’s best singles players are embroiled in a back and forth affair with Grand Slams regarding the prize money on offer at their events.
Players want a larger share of the prize money as a percentage of total tournament revenue.
“Like you say, we think that the whole pie should grow, and also, as we all know, the percentage of revenue that’s given to tennis players is one of the lowest in any sport across the board, right?” Patten continued. “So, look, we’re not coming after you. Please don’t think that.
“And I sort of had sort of mixed responses on what people thought. I spoke to Auger-Aliassime, who was very supportive of us. Cobolli, very supportive of us.
“I also talked to Fritz, who said he was supportive of us, but then made a statement in the press saying, like, ‘Oh, well, you know. It’s business at the end of the day.’ Kind of copped out of really taking a stance.
“The thing is with the top guys is they’re obviously making a lot of money, and I don’t think they really care that much about what the doubles guys are doing or who’s playing.
“They’re more concerned about… like Khachanov was saying, I haven’t spoken to the ATP about doubles, but I have spoken to them about, you know, how late I find out I’m playing the next day or the match schedule.
“That’s what they’re concerned about.
“They’re very much in their own world. And so these players that bring in the revenue for tennis, let’s not get that mixed up – it’s the top 10, 20 tennis players in the world that bring in the money for everyone else. And, like Robin said, of course, the events.
“But those are the players that are really driving the revenue. And that’s because of the strategy that the ATP have really chased and implemented, right?
“It’s like marketing heavily the Roger’s, the Rafa’s, the Djokovic’s, the Sinner’s, the Alcaraz’s, and the players that are around them and playing them most often.
“So yes, I have spoken to the top guys. I think it’s difficult. Because they’re so obviously heavily managed, they have agents, they have PR training.
“I think it’s tough to expect them to just come out and kind of say, ‘No, we’re with the doubles guys here we’re against the ATP.’” Patten, who has also won the Australian Open Men’s Doubles event, added.
“At the end of the day, the ATP pays them a lot of money to do what they do. You know, so it’s difficult to expect them to come out and make a statement for us.
“I obviously hope that some of them will do, especially if they’re asked.
“You know, Cobolli kind of said, ‘Oh, look, if I’m asked, then yeah, you know, I’ll say this.’ But I don’t think they’re really necessarily going to come out and make a statement out of the blue.
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“I think it’s really those guys, like you say, it’s the people who are 75 in the world who have been told, ‘Look, we’ll give you a pay rise.’ And they’re kind of saying, ‘Oh, yeah, great. That’s fantastic.’
“If I was them, sure, maybe I would think that too. I would hope that I wouldn’t, because I see the bigger picture.
“Also, I think it’s a worrying precedent for tennis that they’re cutting jobs. If I was a singles guy at that ranking, I’d be pretty worried about it because I’m hopefully realising I’m also not bringing in that much money to the sport or that much to the tournament, if I’m losing first, second round, and I’m not seeded.
“You know, I might be next on chopping block would be my immediate concern now whether that’s true or not regardless.
“I’m really keen to not make it a singles versus doubles thing,” Patten insisted. “That is really, truly not what we’re after at all. So we’ll continue trying to have those conversations whenever we can, to be honest.”
Haase added: “The only thing that I would like to add is that you do want to convince the singles players: what is that they’re getting out of it? And what is bothering them? If there’s a problem, what is exactly the problem?
“I also talked to a few guys and there’s not a huge problem against doubles actually, the consensus is there is a problem when it comes to price money that some doubles guys make too much.
“So then the question is, okay, but who is making too much?”
