A coalition of current and former doubles stars has challenged proposals to slash tournament draws and prize money from 2028, warning that the changes could threaten the future of professional doubles.
ATP Doubles Reforms: More Than 150 Players Unite Against Proposed Cuts to Draws and Prize Money
Professional doubles faces an uncertain future as current and former players challenge ATP proposals that could halve tournament draws and significantly reduce prize money from 2028.
More than 150 current and former professional tennis players have joined forces in an extraordinary appeal to the ATP, warning that proposed changes to doubles competition could threaten careers, reduce opportunities for emerging players and undermine an important part of the sport.
An open letter addressed to ATP management and its board, released on Monday, 26 October 2026, calls for the governing body to reconsider plans that could dramatically reduce doubles draw sizes and prize money from 2028.
According to BBC Sport, the letter has attracted signatures from 137 current players and 28 former players, along with support from 20 national tennis federations. Among the prominent names backing the campaign are reigning Wimbledon men’s doubles champion Henry Patten and former world No. 1 doubles players Bob and Mike Bryan.
The players have made clear that they are not opposed to modernising professional tennis. Their concern is that the proposed reforms could permanently weaken doubles before meaningful attempts have been made to develop its commercial potential.
Their letter acknowledges that the sport must evolve but argues that the ATP has responsibilities extending beyond immediate financial returns.
“Commercial success matters. Fairness, player welfare and the long-term health of tennis matter just as much,” the signatories write.
It is an argument that goes to the heart of a growing disagreement over the future of professional doubles: whether the discipline should be reduced to reflect its current commercial position, or given greater support to realise its potential.
What is the ATP proposing?
The controversy began during Wimbledon in July, when doubles players were informed that the ATP was reviewing the format and financial structure of doubles competition.
Under proposals being considered, doubles draws at ATP Masters 1000 tournaments could be reduced to 16 teams. ATP 500 and ATP 250 events could feature just eight teams.
The changes would significantly reduce the number of players able to compete at tour-level events, particularly those attempting to establish themselves outside the highest-ranked partnerships.
The financial consequences could be equally substantial.
Doubles currently receives approximately 20% of the relevant tournament prize-money allocation. Under the proposals, that proportion could fall to 10%, with the difference redirected towards singles competition.
In their open letter, the players estimate that the changes would transfer approximately $20 million from doubles to singles.
The figure is the players’ estimate, rather than an independently confirmed final financial allocation.
For doubles specialists, the concern is not simply that individual tournament payouts might fall. Reducing draw sizes would also remove opportunities to earn ranking points, compete regularly and build sustainable careers.
The players warn that professional tennis cannot be structured entirely around its most successful competitors.
“A healthy professional sport cannot rely solely on a small group of top stars,” the letter states.
That argument reflects the particular difficulties faced by players trying to establish themselves in doubles. Unlike the biggest singles stars, many doubles specialists rely on consistent access to tournaments to earn sufficient prize money and ranking points to remain on tour.
If those opportunities disappear, the pathway from lower-level professional tournaments to the ATP Tour could become considerably narrower.
Players say reform should strengthen doubles, not diminish it
One of the most significant aspects of the letter is its acknowledgement that professional tennis must continue to develop commercially.
“We support progress. We also understand the need to grow the sport, strengthen tournaments and increase commercial value. Still, the proposed reforms go too far.”
Their objection is to the scale and direction of the changes under consideration.
Rather than rejecting reform outright, the signatories want to participate in developing a model that improves the financial sustainability and visibility of doubles without reducing the number of players able to make a living from it.
The letter calls on the ATP to balance its commercial ambitions with its responsibilities towards professional players.
It also urges the governing body to protect meaningful doubles draws and establish a long-term plan to promote the discipline and make it more attractive to spectators.
The players are not demanding that every aspect of professional doubles remain unchanged. They are questioning whether cutting opportunities should be the starting point for reform.
Their concerns are particularly relevant to younger players who may be considering specialising in doubles after progressing through junior tennis, the ITF World Tennis Tour and the ATP Challenger Tour.
A professional pathway depends on more than the financial rewards available to established champions. It also requires enough tournament opportunities for emerging players to develop, improve their rankings and gradually establish themselves.
The signatories believe the proposed reductions could weaken that pathway.
Sem Verbeek warns of consequences for future generations
Dutch doubles specialist Sem Verbeek, who won the Wimbledon mixed doubles title in 2025, has been one of the leading figures behind the campaign.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Verbeek warned that the proposals would “destroy careers, livelihoods and dreams”.
His concerns extend beyond the immediate financial position of established doubles players.
In an interview with The Guardian, Verbeek argued that the changes threatened the history and future of professional men’s doubles. He also expressed frustration that players had not been more closely involved in developing the proposals.
Verbeek believes the ATP has underinvested in the discipline and failed to market it effectively, making it harder for doubles to attract audiences and commercial support.
That criticism raises a question about the way professional tennis has traditionally been promoted.
While doubles remains extremely popular at recreational level, it receives considerably less television coverage, marketing attention and prominent scheduling than singles.
At many tournaments, doubles matches are played on outside courts, receive limited broadcasting exposure and attract less publicity than singles encounters involving established stars.
The players believe the discipline’s commercial performance cannot be assessed without considering those differences.
If doubles has not been promoted as effectively as singles, they argue, reducing its presence on the tour risks compounding the problem rather than solving it.
Verbeek has also challenged the perception that doubles specialists are somehow less successful professional tennis players than their singles counterparts.
His position is that a career built around doubles deserves recognition in its own right, rather than being viewed as an alternative for players unable to succeed in singles.
Why doubles matters beyond the professional tour
The open letter also draws attention to doubles’ importance in recreational tennis.
For millions of players, doubles is their primary connection to the sport. Club competitions, social tennis and local tournaments frequently revolve around the format, which allows players of different ages and abilities to participate together.
The signatories argue that this connection should be recognised when determining the future of professional doubles.
The format offers a different style of tennis from singles, with greater emphasis on teamwork, positioning, net play and communication.
It also provides professional opportunities for players whose strengths may be particularly suited to doubles competition.
Those opportunities have produced some of the sport’s most successful and recognisable partnerships, including the Bryan brothers, whose achievements helped bring doubles greater visibility during their careers.
The players’ argument is that reducing the professional structure could eventually weaken the connection between recreational participation and elite doubles competition.
They want the ATP to explore how that connection could be used to attract spectators, sponsors and broadcasters, rather than treating doubles primarily as a financial burden.
What does the ATP say?
The ATP maintains that its review is intended to create a more sustainable future for doubles.
ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi has acknowledged the discipline’s importance while arguing that its existing structure must be examined as part of wider reforms to the men’s professional tour.
In an ATP statement published earlier in October, Gaudenzi said doubles would remain a core part of the tour.
He explained that the review was intended to identify a sustainable long-term model that worked for tournaments, spectators and the wider player pathway.
The ATP’s broader reform programme also includes proposals concerning tournament scheduling, rankings and player compensation, with 2028 identified as a target for implementation.
Those plans reflect the governing body’s efforts to improve the commercial performance of professional tennis and increase financial rewards across the tour.
Supporters of doubles reform argue that the discipline’s existing allocation of prize money may be difficult to justify against its audience figures and commercial revenue.
They also point to the logistical demands of staging doubles competitions, particularly at tournaments where court availability and scheduling are already under pressure.
With fewer leading singles players regularly participating in doubles, some believe the existing tournament structure needs to be reconsidered.
The ATP’s challenge is to balance those commercial concerns against the interests of players whose professional careers depend on doubles.
Importantly, the proposed changes have not been formally approved.
The Bryan brothers join the campaign
The involvement of Bob and Mike Bryan adds some weight to the dispute.
The American twins, widely regarded as one of the greatest doubles partnerships in tennis history, were involved in an earlier campaign against ATP doubles reforms in 2005.
More than two decades later, they have again expressed concern about proposals they believe could reduce opportunities within the discipline.
Speaking to BBC Sport during Wimbledon in July, Bob Bryan questioned why a financially healthy tour should be reducing professional opportunities rather than expanding them.
Mike Bryan also criticised the proposed direction, describing the changes as anti-competitive and expressing support for the current generation of doubles specialists.
Their involvement highlights how longstanding the debate over doubles’ place in professional tennis has become.
The central question remains familiar: how should a governing body balance the commercial value of singles with its responsibility to maintain a viable professional doubles circuit?
Legal action has been discussed as a possibility, but no new legal challenge arising from the current proposals has been confirmed.
What happens next?
The ATP board is expected to consider the reforms during the ATP Finals in Turin in November.
The board comprises chairman Andrea Gaudenzi, four tournament representatives and four player representatives.
Discussions between ATP officials and doubles representatives have already taken place, including meetings around the Shanghai Masters, although players remain concerned about the extent of their influence over the final proposals.
According to BBC Sport, ATP sources believe a compromise may still be possible.
The open letter is intended to strengthen the players’ position before any decisions are made.
Its closing appeal captures the central argument of the campaign:
“Let us grow tennis together, without leaving doubles players behind.”
For the ATP, the challenge is to develop a model that improves the commercial sustainability of doubles while preserving meaningful opportunities for professional players.
For the signatories, the issue is more fundamental. They believe doubles should be treated as an essential part of professional tennis, with its own champions, career pathways and potential for growth.
The coming discussions in Turin could determine whether the ATP moves towards smaller doubles competitions or works with players on an alternative approach.
Either way, the outcome is likely to shape professional doubles for years to come.
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