A group of leading doubles players issued a formal statement on Friday condemning ATP Tour proposals that would, from 2028, cut doubles prize money to just 10 percent of the pot at ATP tournaments - down from the current 20 percent - and halve the size of doubles draws. According to reporting by Mattias Karén for the Associated Press, the players also warned that Challenger entry would be handed to singles players ahead of doubles specialists under the same plan. In their statement, the players said they are not "a carnival sideshow" and that anyone outside the top 30 in the ATP doubles rankings would find it impossible to make a living if the proposals go through.
This is not a minor tweak to the schedule. It is a structural decision that would effectively push doubles toward a curtain-raiser format - something to fill a slot before the singles - rather than a discipline with its own competitive identity.
What the numbers actually mean#
Cutting prize money from 20 percent to 10 percent is not a marginal reduction. For a player ranked, say, 50th in doubles who strings together a reasonable year on tour, that is potentially the difference between covering costs and taking a loss. The ATP's argument, implied by the push toward smaller draws, is that doubles struggles to attract viewers and that condensing the field makes for a tighter, more watchable product. That may be true at the top. But a 16-draw instead of a 32-draw means far fewer matches, far fewer opportunities to earn ranking points, and far less reason for a specialist to stay on tour.
The players' statement says it plainly: this makes doubles a viable career only for the very elite, or for singles players who fancy a few extra matches a week.
The pre-owned angle - what happens to doubles specialist gear#
This is the part that matters for anyone buying or selling second-hand tennis kit. Doubles specialists tend to favour specific racket setups: generally a slightly heavier, more control-oriented frame with a comfortable string bed, because the net game demands feel and precision over raw power. Players who exit the professional doubles circuit - through retirement or simply through the economics becoming untenable - often offload their match-used or near-match-condition frames. A wave of early exits from the professional doubles scene would filter into the pre-owned market over the next few years.
If you play doubles club tennis and want a racket dialled in for the net game, that is actually a good thing to keep an eye on. Browse tennis rackets currently available on EpicRackets - and if you have a frame to sell that no longer earns its keep, list it here.
At a glance: what the ATP is reportedly proposing#
| Area | Current | Proposed (from 2028) |
|---|---|---|
| Doubles prize money share | 20% of tournament pot | 10% of tournament pot |
| Doubles draw size | Standard (32 or 48) | Halved |
| Challenger entry priority | Doubles specialists | Singles players first |
None of this is confirmed policy yet. The players met with ATP officials at Wimbledon this week and the statement signals the dispute is now public. What comes next will depend on how much collective pressure the doubles community can sustain - and whether the ATP considers the format worth preserving at full scale.
For now, if you follow doubles tennis, it is worth paying attention to how this develops. And if the economics do eventually push good players out of the game, some very decent rackets are going to end up looking for new homes.
