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Thoughts on Marion’s comments about doubles, my first thread
1. I’m a little bit in shock but I’ll do my best to address everything said.
2. Marion is suggesting to take money away from those who earn on average less than 19% of what a singles player makes? Does she realize that
1. I’m a little bit in shock but I’ll do my best to address everything said.
2. Marion is suggesting to take money away from those who earn on average less than 19% of what a singles player makes? Does she realize that
doubles players split their earnings after the 19%?
3. I don’t know how many times I have to say this, but doubles is a different game. OF COURSE you can have amazing players who are successful at both, but in general, doubles is a game of strategy. You can have someone hit a
3. I don’t know how many times I have to say this, but doubles is a different game. OF COURSE you can have amazing players who are successful at both, but in general, doubles is a game of strategy. You can have someone hit a
ball 100mph straight at your face, and any good doubles player will be able to handle it and often times even put the ball away. Doubles is all about tactics and finding solutions. You can’t always hit harder and have that be the solution. We use lobs, angles, finesse, net play
- alongside power - to win.
4. When Marion refers to the amount of hard work that’s put in: I disagree but it would also depend on how you measure “hard work.” First of all, the majority of doubles players still play singles. There aren’t that many doubles players who won’t play
4. When Marion refers to the amount of hard work that’s put in: I disagree but it would also depend on how you measure “hard work.” First of all, the majority of doubles players still play singles. There aren’t that many doubles players who won’t play
another singles match until the end of their careers. Second of all, not everyone, not even singles players, will put in the same amount of work as Marion did... she would be out there practicing or doing exercises sometimes for hours before her matches, whereas players normally
will warm up for 30min to 1h max on match day. I’m sure plenty of doubles players would LOVE to get in even more hours on the practice court, but at most tournaments this would mean coming in at 7am (which they don’t always allow you to do because the site isn’t open that early)
or hitting late in the evening at 8pm because we never get enough court time during normal hours of the day as we are last on the priority list for practice courts.
5. Certainly, players who play predominantly doubles train differently than singles players. Singles players focus
5. Certainly, players who play predominantly doubles train differently than singles players. Singles players focus
a lot more on endurance and being able to last running side to side for a gruelling 3 hour match. Doubles players need different weapons to be successful: we need to learn to read the court, have exceptional reaction skills, a solid net game, well placed serves, to use the lob
both defensively and offensively, to understand what type of positioning puts the most pressure on the opponents, to thread the needle on a passing shot when you feel like you have no space to hit into, to know when to poach at the net, to know who covers what shot, understand
the angles of the court, be able to manage another person next to you, to work together to solve a common problem, to be positive when you really don’t feel like it because you’re playing for more than just yourself, shall I go on….
6. In addition, a player who plays
6. In addition, a player who plays
predominantly doubles can have a longer career in tennis because the wear and tear on their body is not the same as a singles player. While Marion may consider this to be some kind of negative, for many it has enabled them to keep pursuing their dreams and to keep playing a sport
they absolutely love for a lot longer than they may have otherwise. To suggest these athletes should disappear is unconscionable.
7. Next, the amount of money that the Slams and various other events generate could EASILY support the lower echelons of tennis IF the governing
7. Next, the amount of money that the Slams and various other events generate could EASILY support the lower echelons of tennis IF the governing
bodies wished. They simply don’t prioritize it. Maybe start with those earning hundreds of millions before looking to a small group of players who make peanuts compared to everyone else.
8. I would like to emphasize that doubles has little to no exposure whatsoever. There are
8. I would like to emphasize that doubles has little to no exposure whatsoever. There are
arguments to be made as to how to improve this, but if I had a dollar for every person who asked me where they can watch more doubles, be taught certain doubles skills, why doubles is rarely scheduled on a big court, I would be able to retire here on the spot.
9. I’m a firm believer that there is a market for doubles to flourish in, it& #39;s simply not ever been tapped into. The majority of recreational players play doubles and we need to be able to bring the doubles product more fully into their lives.
10. This is important: NO ONE that plays only doubles travels with a team of 6 people. Not one player. Some tennis federations might send a team of people to work with ALL their players, but I don’t know one doubles player who travels with more than one or two people maximum, and
even that is usually periodically. In reality we usually share a coach with another player or multiple players… wanna know why? BECAUSE DOUBLES PLAYERS CANT AFFORD A FULL TIME TEAM. WE WOULD LITERALLY BE BLEEDING MONEY EVERY WEEK IF WE HAD ONE.
