Doubles Stars Fight Back: 150+ Players Sign Open Letter to Protect the Format

The doubles revolt is officially here. More than 150 players on the ATP tour have signed an open letter begging the sport’s chiefs to rethink reforms that would slash draw sizes and halve prize money. Backed by federations and legends, the message is blunt: protect doubles before it is too late.

What Is Behind the Doubles Backlash?

The storm began at Wimbledon, when players were told the ATP was reviewing its doubles regulations. The potential changes could see doubles draws cut in half at ATP events from 2028.

The reaction was swift and angry. A large group of doubles players spent the following months organising to resist the plans. The open letter is the result, and it is addressed directly to the ATP board and management.

Who Has Signed?

Beyond the 150-plus active players, the letter carries the names of more than 20 national federations. Legends of the sport have also added their signatures, giving the campaign serious weight.

The Proposals by the Numbers

The scale of the proposed cuts is what has alarmed players most. Here is how the plans and the campaign stack up.

The remaining prize money would be allocated to singles players. In the letter, the players warn that the shift would cut a significant number of professional opportunities for doubles specialists.

“A Healthy Sport Cannot Rely on a Few Stars”

The letter does not hold back on what is at stake. “That shift would make it much harder for talented players to build and sustain a doubles career,” the players state.

They add that “a healthy professional sport cannot rely solely on a small group of top stars; it needs pathways for players to develop, compete and earn a living.”

Verbeek Leads the Charge

Sem Verbeek, the 2025 Wimbledon mixed doubles champion, is one of the players spearheading the campaign. He told the Guardian that the reforms threaten the future of the discipline.

“The livelihoods of a lot of players are at stake here,” he said. “I think also the dreams of any young player that wants to pursue a doubles career are really in big jeopardy.”

Verbeek says the letter is meant to give the ATP a platform to engage. Players want collaboration, not what he describes as a one-sided review. He says their requests for real data and real numbers have gone unanswered so far.

Singles vs Doubles: A Divide Nobody Wanted?

The ATP management views doubles as an unsustainable loss leader. It intends to redistribute some of the money currently reserved for doubles to singles players.

Doubles players believe that approach pits two groups against each other, even though all of them belong to the same association.

Under-Invested and Under-Marketed?

Verbeek argues the problem runs deeper than the balance sheet. He points to how inaccessible doubles is for viewers and says the ATP has under-invested in and under-marketed the discipline.

“For some reason the generation of decision makers that are in the ATP right now feel like a doubles career is not a real tennis career,” he said. “And that to us is ludicrous.”

He also insists doubles should not be seen as a failed singles career. In his view, it is a discipline with a rich history that deserves a real future.

How Has the ATP Responded?

The ATP recently announced widespread reforms to its calendar, schedule and rule book. In a Q&A attributed to chief executive Andrea Gaudenzi, it addressed the doubles question.

“Doubles will continue to be a core part of the ATP Tour,” Gaudenzi wrote. “The review is focused on identifying a model that gives the discipline a sustainable long-term future, works effectively for tournaments and fans and supports the wider player pathway.”

No final decision has been confirmed, but the tension is clear. The ATP talks about sustainability, while the players talk about survival.

What Happens Next?

The open letter turns a private grievance into a public campaign. With active players, federations and legends united, the pressure on the ATP board is growing.

The next move belongs to the tour. Meaningful talks could calm the dispute, while a push ahead with the 2028 plans could escalate it. Either way, the future of men’s doubles is now one of the biggest debates in tennis.