Does the ATP really support doubles? The data behind the debate

Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten lift the 2025 ATP Finals trophy. (Getty/Jon Buckle)

The ATP Tour's proposed changes to doubles have sparked one of tennis' biggest debates in years.

Much of the discussion has focused on reported plans to reduce draw sizes and prize money from 2028. But throughout the debate, another criticism has repeatedly emerged from players and coaches: the ATP simply does not do enough to promote doubles.

To examine those claims, The First Serve has analysed official ATP content published during 2026 through to the end of Wimbledon. 

ATP promotion by the numbers

We reviewed every long-form video published on the ATP Tour's YouTube channel, every YouTube Short, the Tour's last 1,000 Instagram posts, plus every long-form video and Short published by Tennis TV, the ATP's official streaming platform.

Across the ATP Tour's YouTube, Shorts and Instagram accounts, doubles featured in just 11 of 1,768 pieces of content analysed, representing 0.6 per cent of its total output.

The most striking finding came on the ATP Tour's main YouTube channel, which had zero long-form videos featuring doubles among its 270 uploads this year.

Its Shorts featured just three doubles videos from 498 uploads (0.6 per cent), while only eight of its last 1,000 Instagram posts (0.8 per cent) related to doubles.

Tennis TV devoted a slightly greater share of its output to doubles, with 20 of 863 long-form videos (2.3 per cent) and six of 937 Shorts (0.6 per cent) focusing on the discipline. 

British Wimbledon champion Henry Patten believes promotion has become one of the biggest issues facing doubles.

"The reality is you need to win a Slam or be in the final of a Slam to be anywhere near their Instagram page," Patten said.

"I don't see why they couldn't promote eight guys."

British coach Calvin Betton, who has worked extensively in doubles, including with Patten, previously told The First Serve he believed the issue was far broader.

"They don't do anything at all to promote doubles, and that's kind of their position," Betton said.

Across the ATP Tour's official channels and Tennis TV, doubles accounted for just 37 of 3,568 videos and social media posts analysed, or around one per cent of all content.

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The Grand Slam difference

The picture was noticeably different at the Grand Slams.

Doubles accounted for 43 of the Australian Open's 1,491 long-form YouTube videos analysed this year (2.9 per cent), while Wimbledon dedicated 14 of its 358 long-form uploads (3.9 per cent) to doubles (not including junior or wheelchair doubles).

Although still not at a high percentage, it is an improvement on the ATP Tour’s commitment.

Patten believes Wimbledon demonstrates the appetite for doubles when it is properly showcased.

"They have these odd narratives like, 'No one watches doubles,' but Wimbledon have done a pretty good job of selling out crowds for doubles this week on every court," he said.

"They would say it doesn't really count because it's Wimbledon, everyone is there, but what are you talking about? Of course it counts."

"You should be aiming for your tournaments to be as successful as these."

Do doubles fans actually watch?

The viewership data also challenges another common criticism: that fans simply do not watch doubles online.

Of the nine dedicated doubles highlights published by Tennis TV during the period analysed, four attracted more than 100,000 views, placing them inside the top 40 per cent of the platform's long-form uploads. 

At the other end, the lowest-performing video attracted 34,000 views, which wasn’t in the bottom 20 per cent. Most sat within Tennis TV's standard performance tier of 50,000 to 150,000 views.

The trend was even stronger on Short-form YouTube videos. The four genuine ATP doubles Shorts averaged 145,000 views, with all four ranking inside the top 26 per cent of Tennis TV's 930 Shorts. The highest-ranked finished in the top 18 per cent, while none fell outside the top half of the channel's output.

Promotion is only part of the answer

The figures do not suggest promotion alone will solve the doubles’ challenges. Questions around format, scheduling and prize money remain at the centre of the sport's civil war.

Seventeen-time Grand Slam doubles champion Mark Woodforde believes change is needed, but questioned whether the reported proposals are the right solution.

"I absolutely have sympathy," Woodforde told The First Serve.

"But then I'm also a supporter that we need to make changes for doubles."

Woodforde believes doubles should become less specialised, with more players developing in both singles and doubles before choosing a pathway.

However, he does not support reports that doubles players could receive a significantly smaller share of prize money.

"I'm not totally in support of that at all," he confirmed. "I really feel like it would contribute to the death of doubles if we keep going with this split."

For reigning Wimbledon champion Henry Patten, the debate is also about opportunity.

"They are talking about cutting lots of jobs effectively," he said.

"In 10 years' time, if these proposals go ahead, they are basically saying people like me shouldn't be on the ATP Tour, which I take quite personally and I think is wrong."

The ATP has said it is exploring "a more sustainable long-term model while maintaining doubles' important role on the tour".

Whatever direction the sport takes, this analysis suggests one point is difficult to ignore.

The ATP can change the format, prize money, and tinker around the edges.

However, unless fans are given more opportunities to see doubles, discover and connect with the players competing, the discipline will continue to struggle regardless of what reforms are introduced.

Methodology

The author manually reviewed official ATP Tour, Tennis TV, Australian Open and Wimbledon YouTube content published during 2026 through to the end of the Wimbledon Championships, along with the ATP Tour's most recent 1,000 Instagram posts. Content was classified according to its primary subject. Artificial intelligence was used to assist with organising and cross-checking the dataset, while all classifications, calculations and editorial conclusions were reviewed by The First Serve. As with any manual content analysis, minor differences in classification are possible in borderline cases, but these would not materially affect the findings.

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