Doubles players push back against ATP proposals to cut draws

ATP proposals to reduce men’s doubles draws have drawn strong criticism from leading doubles players, including Wimbledon champions Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool. The changes discussed at Wimbledon could take effect from 2028, but they have not been finalised.

According to the BBC report, the proposals could limit doubles fields to 16 teams at ATP Masters 1000 tournaments and eight teams at smaller tour events. The share of prize money allocated to doubles could also fall from about 20% to about 10%, with the difference redirected toward singles players.

Cash, Glasspool and others argue the plan would damage doubles as a professional pathway, especially for players outside the very top of the rankings. Neal Skupski also pushed back against the idea that doubles should be treated as a lesser part of the tour, while acknowledging that singles remains the main commercial draw for most tournaments.

The ATP’s position, as reported, is that it is reviewing draw sizes, compensation and the overall doubles product to build a more sustainable model while keeping doubles on the tour. The dispute now centres on whether the answer is to shrink the discipline or invest more effort in promoting it to fans.