by Andrew Eichenholz
You say tennis, somebody says yellow, fuzzy ball. You say singles tennis, and shouts will come from every direction. Federer! Serena! Rafa! Maria!
How about doubles tennis? Not so noisy anymore.
Usually, the sport of doubles is played by the likes of Briton Dominic Inglot, barely known, and rarely seen. While Andy Roddick was swatting the last serves of his career in the overlooking Arthur Ashe Stadium in 2012 during the United States Open, Inglot and partner Treat Huey were battling on the now-gone Court 4, only separated by a set of bleachers, a fence and some grass from the nearby parkway.
All of a sudden, Inglot fell down to the ground. As the team of Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares fended off volleys on the other side of the net, one of their returns hit Inglot in the face. In Arthur Ashe, gasps of shock would have filled the crowd, replaced by thundering applause as the 6-foot 5-inch 28-year old got up and put up a big fight against the now top-5 doubles team of Peya and Soares.
On Court 4, there were not enough fans in the crowd to overpower the chippering of fans watching the top singles players in the world on the nearby practice courts. The thousands of people on the ground still did not know who the players on that court were, let alone the winners they were stringing together. A tight three set match with players showing deft touch and jaw-dropping reflexes was being overlooked. Doubles does not get attention, and its own players know it.
“Doubles does get a rough ride,” Inglot said, mentioning that at the 2014 Davis Cup final, fans were actually enjoying the skill shown by all four players under arguably some of the greatest pressure in their careers. “The thing that people don’t realize is that when given the light, doubles does shine.”
The only doubles tandem given the spotlight has been a couple of guys by the name of Bob and Mike. They are twins, just like any others. Put a guitar in their hand or sit them down at a piano, and they look like any ordinary brothers. Put their Prince tennis racquets and matching ensembles in hand on a tennis court, and just watch.
No words could describe their talents. The number 103 does enough. That is the number of championships they have won together.
Many may recognize the Bryans from an Esurance commercial. Others probably think of them as the only guys who stick around to sign autographs for every single fan that wants one after a match. People do not realize the greatness that the Bryans represent on the court itself.
Why is that?
Outside of the finals of Grand Slams, Davis Cup ties (in which the Bryans have lost only four times), and rare Masters series tournament finals, their talents are not shown to the masses. The brothers Bryan won their 100th, yes, 100th title together at the United States Open last year. Yet, arguably the top-performing American tennis players did not get into the country’s pride and joy of a show court, Arthur Ashe, until the semifinals. The “show” courts that they got during the rest of this year’s tournament was even a bonus for them, as the first round has seen them on the same court as Inglot was on next to the parkway in the past.
Unless they are hardcore tennis fans, would anybody know that the brothers do not even have a common handiness, with Bob being a lefty and Mike a righty? Probably not.
Yet, everybody could talk about American John Isner, who has yet to reach a major semifinal. Not to take anything away from Isner, as the former Georgia Bulldog has continually made himself better. The big man has made his style into more than that of “just a server,” as many have said, but he will never be in the vicinity of greatness at singles that the Bryans are at doubles.
“My opinion is that doubles is not marketed enough for people to recognize the players, and as a result follow them,” Inglot said. “How often does any company release a product or service without marketing it fully?”
Rarely.
Now, it is unfair to make that argument without at least pointing out that not every doubles team is like the Bryans. In fact, they may be an outlier. Some of the notable doubles players in the recent history of tennis include the likes of Leander Paes and Daniel Nestor. Paes has won eight Grand Slam men’s doubles titles. They came with four different partners. It is not easy to establish a brand with that kind of inconsistency at the top of the sport.
Selling the entertainment factor in doubles becomes that much harder, when, as soon as fans recognize a team, they break up. Not to blame the teams, as they are forced to travel across the world with another man who they may not have known months prior, but selling a product is still selling a product.
“The Bryans as a result are cleaning up in that respect,” Inglot said. “They are the only ones that are still together, and being twins and having their own move have recognition, and as a result a following as well.”
After every win, and following significant points during matches, the Bryans run at each other and leap into a chest bump, something they have become known for over the years.
According to former world No.1 and United States Open Champion Roddick, they are the only team that has that kind of recognition.
“Obviously I think the Bryans are the exception to a lot of rules regarding the doubles tour,” Roddick said during a conference call to promote his playing on the PowerShares Series champions circuit. “If you look at the year as a whole, the best moments in history have been on the singles courts, on the money end of big events.”
On the biggest courts, under the brightest of spotlights, there are two players on the court, and they are enemies, not partners. Doubles? Already brushed behind the curtains.
“I don’t see a changing of the guards as far as the number one product on tour anytime soon,” Roddick concluded.
But, for those who would want to see more of the doubles game that has slipped past popularity’s eye, Nick Lester, a former touring professional and current television analyst has some ideas. With doubles specialist Eric Butorac now at the helm of the ATP Player’s Council, his half of the sport may have more of a voice.
“There has been a concerted effort this year to try and promote the doubles game a little more,” Lester said. “It certainly hasn’t helped in recent years with pairs splitting up so much. I think that makes it tough for fans to attach themselves with pairs.”
However, he noted that fans are attracted to doubles, especially when there are players better known to the fan base involved.
“I remember the lines around the stadium in Indian Wells this year to watch Federer play doubles,” Lester said. “That suggests that if there is star power on court it doesn’t matter what the format is.”
So, as the 2015 season is under way, the doubles tour will be seeking to establish itself with an identity once again. The easy answer would be to put it on television to help market the game, but that is easier said than done. Is there anything else that could be done?
Lester had a conversation with a former star doubles specialist, who had ideas of his own.
“Luke Jensen suggested to me in the summer that he feels each event should have a doubles only court to give them their own identity,” Lester said.
New ideas could only help the growth of doubles, but there are questions surrounding that as well. When fans pay to attend a tournament, especially those lacking the star power on every court that a Grand Slam will be able to provide, will patrons pass up the chance to see their favorite players just so they could go watch doubles, which they may not have seen before?
It is hard to tell. Doubles and its players have their own set of talent and appeal. But, will it ever be able to attach itself to at least a greater sliver of the spotlight? Only time will tell.