Henry Patten has called for the ATP Tour to make changes after winning his second Wimbledon doubles title.
Wimbledon has been the main focus of the tennis world for the last fortnight, but there has also been news regarding controversial changes that the ATP are planning to make to doubles.
It has been widely reported that the ATP are planning to both cut prize money (from 20% to 10% of tournament prize money) and reduce doubles draws, with these proposals planned to start in 2028.
These proposals have been widely criticised, and now world number one and Wimbledon champion, Patten, has called for the ATP to make changes.
Henry Patten calls out the ATP Tour’s doubles proposals
Patten won the men’s Wimbledon doubles title once again alongside his partner Harri Heliovaara after beating their opponents Mate Pavic and Marcelo Arevalo in the final in front of a packed Centre Court crowd.
In their post-match press conference after winning the Wimbledon title, Patten and Heliovaara were asked about the current state of doubles and if they think it gets the treatment it deserves.
Amidst the current debate regarding the ATP Tour’s proposals, Patten responded by suggesting that they have proven some criticism about doubles wrong at Wimbledon this year, but he did not want to argue and instead work together to improve the growth of the game.
“Yeah, I’ve said it all week, every single round we’ve played, we started on Court 16, 17, something like that. Full crowd,” started Patten. “We then played on Court 18, full crowd. Played on Court 2 a couple times, full crowd. Court 1, full crowd. Today, full crowd.
“It’s difficult, because it seems like no matter how many times you do that, there’s like this very strong narrative that the product itself just isn’t good enough. I don’t think that’s true.
“I think we’ve kind of proven that to be wrong. Of course, Wimbledon plays a huge part in that. People come to Wimbledon to watch tennis, whether it’s singles, doubles, wheelchair singles, wheelchair doubles, juniors, exhibition. People come to Wimbledon to watch tennis.
“I feel strongly that doubles can play a strong part in that and can help the ATP Tour grow the game. I think that’s what we should be focused on. No more in-fighting. It doesn’t help anyone.
“You know, let’s focus on growth and investing in the sport and creating more opportunities for people from different backgrounds. I really care strongly about that.
“I’ve been lucky enough to grow up in a fairly middle class household. Taking away doubles isn’t going to help the poorer kids or the kids who are far away from tennis centers or the kids who can only play twice a week.
“We should be encouraging people from all different backgrounds to play tennis and feel that they can make a living out of tennis. We should be growing that.”
If you were in charge of tennis, what is the first rule you would change?
Patten was then asked if there were any specific changes he would like to make, as he pointed to the lack of doubles promotion on the ATP Tour’s social media during Wimbledon this year.
“Definitely. I think if you look at, for example, the ATP Tour’s Instagram page on semi-final day, there was no men’s singles matches that day, but there were no posts about doubles,” explained Patten. “I don’t see why that is.
“I don’t know, it’s difficult. I think it really requires a big cultural shift and a change in culture of the ATP, which is obviously a difficult thing to change in any organization.
“But I just wish they had more of a growth mindset rather than seeing it purely as a pain in the a–, which is what it seems like at the moment. It’s really difficult to change that. But I feel optimistic that we will be able to change it.”
Patten was then asked another follow-up question about whether he had spoken to the ATP directly, as he confirmed that he had not, but was hoping to be involved in some meetings going forward.
“Not really. We’re hoping to set up some meetings,” confirmed the Briton. “That’s through the head of player relations at the ATP. I have to go through him. I asked for the contact details of the tournament directors of the ATP.
“I’d really like to speak to them, see if they have any ideas, see how doubles players can bring value to them outside of just playing doubles matches, whether that’s ProAms, playing with sponsors, other things.
“Instead of giving me the contacts, we have to talk to the tournament board members, who then have to give us the okay to have the contacts. We haven’t spoken to the player reps or the chairmen or the CEO.
“So I’m optimistic that those meetings will happen with time. A small group of doubles players, hopefully be able to sit down and meet with the higher-ups, as it were. I hope that will happen, but it hasn’t happened yet. We’re trying.”
Henry Patten makes British tennis history with second Wimbledon win
Despite all the ongoing conflicts of interest between doubles players and the ATP Tour, Patten has been able to make history alongside Heliovaara at Wimbledon this year.
Having won a second title together at Wimbledon, backing up their first from 2024, Patten and Heliovaara have become the first team to win multiple men’s doubles titles together at the grass court major since the Bryan brothers in 2011.
Perhaps even more remarkably, Patten has now become the first British player to win multiple titles in the Wimbledon men’s doubles event since Randolph Lycett, who won his second and third titles in 1922 and 1923.
When asked about becoming the first British man in the Open Era to achieve this, Patten admitted that he was pretty surprised to have done so.
“Very, very proud,” answered Patten. “It’s pretty difficult these days to be a British doubles player and do something for the first time. We have such a strong group of players.
“Yeah, I definitely wouldn’t have been able to do that without them, to be honest, without the Neal Skupskis, Joe Salisburys, Jules [Julian Cash], and Lloyd [Glasspool].
He added, “Jamie [Murray], of course, who kind of kicked the whole thing off. Yeah, but it’s obviously, selfishly, I’m quite proud of that. It’s not easy, like I say. To be part of British tennis history, yeah, is the stuff of dreams.”
