By Erik Gudris | Saturday, July 11, 2026
Picture credit score: Matthew Stockman/Getty
World No. 1 ATP Doubles Crew Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara capped off a stellar fortnight by successful their second Wimbledon doubles title as a workforce.
But Patten took the chance to share his ideas on the state of the doubles recreation on the world’s most well-known court docket.
The UK’s Patten and Finland’s Heliovaara earned their third profession main doubles title after defeating El Salvador’s Marcelo Arevalo and Croatia’s Mate Pavic 7-6(4), 7-6 (3) backed by a thrilled Centre Court docket crowd.
In the course of the trophy ceremony, the 30-year-old Patten took the chance in his speech to share his ideas on the current proposed adjustments to doubles on the ATP Tour.
“It could be remiss of me to not point out that the ATP Tour submitted proposals to chop a few of the doubles, and I’m a robust believer we’re right here to develop the sport,” Patten stated.
“This can be a incredible instance of the enjoyment that doubles can carry. The group, I hope you loved it.”
These proposals, although not finalized, would lower the variety of groups competing at ATP 1000 occasions to 16 and at smaller occasions to eight, whereas additionally decreasing the prize cash doubles groups may earn by 10 to twenty%.
Whereas some singles gamers, notably Reilly Opelka and Alexander Bublik have brazenly questioned why doubles continues to exist on the tour, Patten continues to advocate for doubles to thrive.
“I imagine we needs to be rising alternatives in tennis for youths, whether or not they’re doubles gamers, singles gamers, British, Finnish, from El Salvador or Croatia, wherever they’re from, we needs to be rising the assist as a substitute of taking alternatives away.
“Thanks to Wimbledon for giving this platform to us for the 2 weeks. You’re the finest event on the earth.”
Patten and Heliovaara are the primary workforce to win a number of Wimbledon males’s doubles titles for the reason that nice Bob and Mike Bryan of the U.S. in 2011.
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Erik Gudris. Erik Gudris is a contributing author to Tennis Now His tennis protection and evaluation has additionally appeared at USAToday.com, SI.com, Tennis Panorama Information, and extra.
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