Doubles Players Take To Court

Men’s tennis is at war with itself. In July, the ATP Tour -- the organization established by tennis players to protect their own that has developed into the de facto “league” of men’s professional tennis (including event managers), announced drastic changes to men’s doubles competition.

The Tour proposed and then passed changes both to the entry qualifications for doubles competitions and to the scoring system. Entry into doubles competitions would be based not on a player’s doubles ranking, but on his combined singles and doubles ranking, clearly favoring top singles players. Sets would be played to five games (rather than six) with no-ad scoring rather than playing each game out. The Tour cited a need to make doubles competition at its events more marketable, television friendly and therefore profitable. The ATP claimed its changes would entice better known singles players like Roger Federer or Andy Roddick to compete in doubles events.

As men’s professional tennis has evolved, players have specialized. For some time, top doubles players have specialized in doubles. Top singles players don’t play doubles. Some say top singles players don’t have the time, energy, or financial incentive to play doubles. Others argue that the top singles players wouldn’t make the cut in word-class doubles. There is truth in both arguments. No one disputes that the rules changes, principally through the entry guidelines, will eliminate top-tier doubles players from doubles events in favor of top-tier singles players (regardless of their doubles performance.)

That point, raises some interesting antitrust issues. After the rules changes were announced, the top doubles players joined together and sued the ATP and its board of directors in the United States District Court in Houston. They allege that the ATP, through the rules change, has violated antitrust law and breached its fiduciary duty to its member players. The suit identifies the relevant market as men’s professional tennis, made up of two submarkets – singles and doubles. By creating rules designed to exclude the world’s top doubles players from doubles competitions, the new rules illegally restrain and thwart competition to enter doubles events.

The rules themselves triggered an avalanche of negative publicity from the tennis community. While there is debate as to how to properly market doubles, no one seems to agree that a changed scoring format or altered entry qualifications are the answer. Perhaps in response to the reaction, the ATP this month announced that it has backed off certain of the proposed changes, has created a fund to market doubles and named a doubles commissioner. The ATP has even created a doubles themed ad. Wayne Bryan, the players’ passionate and eloquent spokesman, hasn’t relented. Most tennis fans hope that Bryan will prevail. After all, those who enjoy doubles enjoy it for what it is. Its not the product that needs changing, its the presentation.

Stay tuned.

Posted in: