While doubles tennis is not nearly as popular as singles tennis, some important figures in the sport are wondering where the main problem lies and how that problem can be solved.
Doubles tennis was hugely popular years ago and it seemed like fans enjoyed watching famous combinations like the Williams sisters. This year, the renewed mixed doubles at the US Open caused positive reactions from the public and recorded record attendance.
However, important figures in doubles, such as tennis players and coaches, are still frustrated by how little doubles is promoted on social media.
Calvin Betton, a well-known coach of doubles players, pointed out in the Chip n Charge Tennis podcast that he is outraged by the actions of Tennis TV, as they don't want to promote doubles tennis.
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Betton spoke openly about Tennis TV's policies, believing they were doing the wrong things and hindering the progress of doubles.
It annoys me that there is zero marketing for this (doubles). Zero marketing. Like, if you go on Tennis TV, try and find me a doubles post on Tennis TV, and there isnt one.
This year, Ive seen them have clips of tennis players playing golf, tennis players skateboarding, and tennis players shaking hands."- he said as quoted by The Tennis Gazette.
Although the doubles tennis players agreed to pay $2,000 each to create a profile for the doubles players, it turnead out that Tennis TV was not open to this, nor to using the footage.
But try and get them to put a doubles point on is like pulling teeth. The doubles players have specifically asked the ATP if they can run their own Instagram account. Like a doubles-only Instagram account.
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The ATP turned it down; they wouldnt let them do it. For no reason. The doubles players said they would finance it.
All the doubles players had an agreement among themselves, where they said the top 100 will stick in two grand each, and they would pay someone to run it, and pay for the marketing, and they wouldnt let them do it."- he said.
Andy Roddick
Betton ultimately pointed the finger at Andy Roddick, believing that his beliefs were wrong. Namely, the famous tennis player believes that doubles players should take matters into their own hands, but there are clearly obstacles that prevent them from taking important steps towards the future.
You get idiots like Andy Roddick saying, Oh, just do it yourself. They cant. They would do it, and they would pay for it, and they would do it all themselves, but they cant. The ATP will not let them do it, and they will not let them have even the clips to market themselves.
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Will anything change soon? Will the importance and popularity of doubles tennis grow? It remains to be seen.
Calvin Betton hopes that the future of tennis could look significantly different and that doubles tennis will regain at least some of the popularity it once had.
