Wimbledon doubles champions Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool have vowed to take legal action against proposed ATP changes that would halve doubles draw sizes by 2028. The British duo, who became the first all-British pair since 1936 to win the men's doubles title last year, are back at the All England Club defending their crown. They advanced to the second round with a swift 6-3 6-0 victory over Mariano Navone and Adolfo Daniel Vallejo in just 51 minutes.
Proposed changes to doubles format
The ATP is considering cutting the doubles field from 32 to 16 pairs at Masters 1000 events and from 16 to eight at ATP 500 and 250 tournaments. Additionally, the prize money split between singles and doubles would shift from 80:20 to 90:10. These changes are part of a wider structural review that has sparked outrage among doubles specialists.
Glasspool criticized the approach, saying: 'Their way to tackle it is to just get rid of all doubles players and have singles guys play doubles, which I don’t think is the right decision.' Cash added that doubles players are united in their opposition and prepared to pursue legal action if necessary. 'We hope it doesn’t go as far as legal action but if it has to then I know that we’re all on board to do so,' he said.
Doubles players express concern
Henry Patten, the world No. 1 in doubles and fellow Briton, labelled the plans 'odd' and warned they would make tennis 'more elitist'. He revealed that even ATP Council members Andrea Vavassori and Marcelo Arévalo were unaware of the proposals, highlighting a lack of transparency. 'It makes dialogue extremely difficult when those decisions and discussions are happening behind closed doors in the ATP,' Patten said. 'There’s a lot of uncertainty right now about whether it’s going to be viable to be a professional doubles player after 2028.'
Patten questioned the timing of the changes, noting the ATP's strong financial performance. 'It’s odd to me that at a time when the ATP is doing well financially, they’re choosing to cut the jobs of tennis players and make the sport more elitist,' he said. He also expressed concern for future generations: 'I never dreamed of doing this and I wish every kid who plays tennis has the opportunity to compete at Wimbledon or the US Open. With these changes the number of kids that are able to achieve those things is going to be really diminished.'
ATP responds to backlash
In a brief statement, the ATP said: 'Any potential changes will be developed through close consultation with players, tournaments and the ATP Board with any decisions made in the best long-term interests of the sport and its consumers.' However, doubles players remain sceptical, citing the lack of prior consultation. The proposed changes would take effect in 2028, giving players limited time to mount a legal challenge.
