By Erik Gudris / Monday, November 18, 2013

 

Despite their standout 2013 season, Bob and Mike Bryan feel doubles in the pro game is in trouble. Are they
right or can the sport's fans prove them wrong?

Photo Credit: Rob Newell/CameraSport

While Bob and Mike Bryan came up just short in their quest to complete a rare calendar Grand Slam, the dynamic duo celebrated one of their best seasons in 2013. That included winning three majors and finishing the year at No. 1 for a record ninth time.

But in a recent interview with USA Today, the Bryans expressed concern that doubles on the ATP Tour is at risk of falling behind even more in terms of support. This despite the introduction of the final-set match tiebreak a few years ago to make doubles more "TV friendly" and to attract more singles players to pair up by making matches shorter. The brothers also feel fewer younger players are seeking to make doubles their career and bemoan often sparse attendance at most matches outside of the big tournaments.

While the Bryans, arguably the most famous doubles team of all time, made valid points about their chosen occupation, is the situation as bleak as they paint?

The singles game continues to be physically demanding enough for most pros, which is why so many of the top stars rarely head back out to the doubles court. While some events like Indian Wells and Miami, with their extended schedules, allow the likes of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray the opportunity to play doubles, it is a rare exception and treat for the fans when they do.

While Federer or Nadal, for example, may not play doubles as much as many think they should, we are seeing more high profile singles players show up for double duty. Maybe it's the match tiebreak. Perhaps it is the lure of extra cash. Likely both, but it is happening.

Although Fernando Verdasco, along with David Marrero, surprised many by winning the ATP World Tour Finals doubles title, Verdasco wasn't the only well-known singles player to raise a doubles trophy this season. Benoit Paire and Stanislas Wawrinka won in Chennai and played quite a bit with each other. Before he retired, James Blake teamed up with young Jack Sock at several American events, including Delray Beach, where they won the title. The list goes on.

Having more singles players compete in doubles often brings more awareness, and let's face it, more eyeballs to a particular match. But is that good for the sport of doubles long-term? Singles players tend not to stray from the baseline in doubles, relying on their bigger groundstrokes instead of their net skills. That was all too evident in the London finals with Verdasco often using his massive forehand to punch past the Bryans. Doubles experience is key, but it can do little to stop a 117 mph forehand coming right at you.

While it is unlikely we will see a Grand Slam doubles final contested by four players staying at the baseline all match, one wonders if the "art" of doubles is slowly fading away. That may well be the Bryans' biggest concern as serve and volley continues to become an unexpected tactic. Will the influx of singles players who "moonlight" in doubles continue that trend? Perhaps. But in doubles, teamwork is still everything and that is something that must be learned over time. While a team made up of top 30 singles players, for example, can beat a top 10 doubles team, that is often not the case week in and week out. And that's why we will continue to see the teams who stay together throughout a season, rather than just show up for one event, reap the most rewards on the doubles court all year.

But where will the new teams come from? Most of the elite doubles teams nowadays, like the Bryans, are well past the age of 30. In their interview, the Bryans said that fewer teams made of doubles specialists like themselves are coming up the ranks. That's hardly a surprise given the bigger paychecks singles players can make at one event. Younger players certainly don't become doubles specialists until they've given the singles game a real go. While the Bryans' own remarkable achievements will never be touched, can we expect another team to become household names, like the Bryans, in the next decade?

That may all depend on the fans themselves. Despite many recreational players choosing doubles over singles at their local park or club, the pro singles game will remain the most popular version of the sport to watch, either in person or through video media, for years to come. If the public indeed loves to play doubles so much, then they have to show up more for doubles all year long, not just at the majors or when more famous singles players appear. The sports media, too, could publicize doubles results more all year long. But again, they only will if tennis fans themselves ask for more coverage.

Ultimately, the success of doubles in the pro game depends on the interest of the fans who watch. Doubles is not in danger of dying out so long as singles players continue to see it as an opportunity. The Bryans may be worried about the future of doubles, but given the unique style of the game itself that cannot be mastered in one week, it is unlikely that seeing four players do battle on a court will go out of style anytime soon.