Doubles players push back over ATP proposals to cut draws and prize share

Leading doubles players are objecting to ATP proposals that could sharply reduce opportunities and prize money in men’s doubles from 2028. The disputed ideas include smaller draws and a lower share of prize money for doubles, though no final policy has been confirmed.

According to the reported proposals discussed at Wimbledon, ATP Masters 1000 doubles draws could fall to 16 teams, while smaller tour events could have only eight. The doubles share of prize money could also drop from about 20% to about 10%, with funds redirected toward singles players.

The players’ argument is that such changes would make the doubles circuit viable only for a narrow elite, particularly harming those outside the top 30. The concern is not only about individual earnings, but also about whether a reduced calendar pathway would discourage specialists from pursuing doubles as a full-time career.

The ATP’s response frames the review as an attempt to build a more sustainable model, including possible investment in early-round singles prize money. That sets up a wider debate for tennis: how to balance commercial interest, player livelihoods and the place of doubles within the professional game.