Leading doubles players have issued a strong condemnation of the ATP Tour’s plan to significantly reduce prize money and tournament draw sizes starting in 2028, warning that the changes would make it impossible for most professionals to earn a living. In a statement released Friday, the players declared they are not “a carnival sideshow” and demanded transparency from the tour.
Players Warn of Financial Devastation
The statement came after doubles players met with ATP officials at Wimbledon this week to discuss the future of the format, which has struggled to attract audiences. The players said the ATP is proposing to halve doubles draws and cut prize money from 20 percent to just 10 percent of total tournament compensation. At Masters-level events, doubles draws would shrink to 16 teams, while at ATP 500 and 250 tournaments, only eight teams would compete.
“Do the math on what that means for anyone outside the top 30: it will be impossible to make a living,” the statement said. “This is not a minor adjustment. It is a plan to end doubles as a viable profession, dressed up as a cost-saving measure — and it is being pushed through with almost no transparency and almost no consultation with the players whose careers and livelihoods are on the line.”
ATP Defends Proposal as Sustainability Move
The ATP Tour responded by saying it is “assessing the doubles product, draw sizes and player compensation distribution with the aim of creating a more sustainable long-term model while maintaining doubles’ important role on the Tour.” The tour added that changing the doubles model could help increase early-round singles prize money, “helping more players at the highest level to better meet the costs of competing on Tour and build sustainable professional careers.”
The proposal does not affect Grand Slam tournaments. At this year’s Wimbledon, 64 doubles teams compete in both men’s and women’s draws, with winning pairs splitting 760,000 pounds (about $1 million), compared to 3.6 million pounds ($4.8 million) for singles champions.
Doubles Already Facing Challenges
Doubles has long taken a back seat to singles in popularity and TV audiences, and the format has undergone several recent changes. In 2023, Wimbledon joined other Grand Slams in shortening doubles matches from five to three sets. Last year, the US Open introduced a new mixed doubles format played before the singles tournament to attract top names like Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Iga Swiatek, and Naomi Osaka. That move was criticized by traditional doubles players for excluding them in favor of singles specialists.
Women’s doubles at Wimbledon received a boost with Serena and Venus Williams accepting a wild-card entry, though Serena’s participation remained in doubt after she tweaked her knee during her first-round singles match in her first appearance at the All England Club in four years.
Players Blame ATP Marketing Failures
The men’s players said part of the problem in attracting audiences stems from the ATP Tour’s “lackluster marketing of doubles, failure to exploit broadcast and other commercial partnerships, and poor event staging and promotion.” They emphasized that doubles is not an afterthought. “Doubles is not an afterthought we fell into,” the statement said. “It has always been part of this sport’s identity, not a discount version of it.”
