Group of 170 former and current doubles player write letter to ATP amid proposal to cut draws and decrease prize money

Tuesday, 27 October 2026 at 14:00

A group of 170 current and former doubles players have co-signed a letter to the ATP calling on the governing body of men's tennis to rethink proposals that in reality would decimate doubles doubles.

The proposals are essentially designed to cut the size of doubles draws and shift £15million in prize money away from doubles and into singles. Among those to co-sign said letter include Pat Cash and Bob and Mike Bryan - the Bryan Brothers. They are among the 33 doubles legends adding muster to this current debate. Also among those adding to it include World No.1 Henry Patten. He is among 137 active players who have signed the letter.

Interestingly too, twenty national tennis federations endorsed the letter. However, Britain's Lawn Tennis Association and the federations of the three other Grand Slam nations including Tennis Australia, the French Tennis Federation and the USTA did not get on board.

Legends and current stars alike sign letter

“The ATP exists to serve all professional players. Tennis is more than a business. It is a worldwide legacy built on joy, health and sportsmanship. A legacy like that should open doors, not close them," said the letter.

Bryan Brothers signed said letter.

“We, the undersigned current and former professional players and national tennis federations, are deeply concerned about the ATP’s plans to reduce doubles draws drastically on the ATP Tour. We support progress. We also understand the need to grow the sport, strengthen tournaments and increase commercial value. Still, the proposed reforms go much too far.

“The current plans would shift about US$20million in prize money from doubles to singles, while cutting a significant number of professional opportunities for doubles specialists. That shift would majke it much harder for talented players to build and sustain a doubles career. A healthy professional sport cnanot rely solely on a small group of top stars; it needs pathways for players to develop, compete and earn a living.”

In addition, the letter continues to go into urging the ATP to find a better balance between commercial and responsibility to players and legacy. They have called for collaboration on future plans and for more visibility for doubles draws.

Henry Patten, who is currently World No.1 was one of those to call out the current plans after winning Wimbledon earlier this year.

“It would be remiss of me not to mention that the ATP Tour submitted proposals to cut some of the doubles, and I'm a strong believer we are here to grow the game,” he said during his victory speech.

"This is a fantastic example of the joy that doubles can bring. The crowd - I hope you enjoyed it. I believe we should be growing opportunities in tennis for kids, whether they are doubles players, singles players, British, Finnish, from El Salvador or Croatia, wherever they are from, we should be growing the support instead of taking opportunities away.”

Read also

In reports from The Times, decisions will be made in the next four weeks, but doubles players are not currently discussing going on strike.

Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief

Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.

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