John McEnroe makes controversial call for doubles tennis to be ditched

[Gut4Tennis]

Doubles tennis must be in a bad way if John McEnroe, whose alliance with Peter Fleming brought him four Wimbledon titles, is calling for it to be scrapped from major tournaments.
Having flown into London this week for the Statoil Masters - an annual veterans’ event staged at the Royal Albert Hall - McEnroe was in feisty form on Thursday as he questioned what the team format is bringing to professional tennis.
“Why we are even playing doubles at this point is a mystery to me,” said McEnroe. “I love doubles but I don’t even recognise what this is. If there was a volleying contest from the service line, most of these guys couldn’t . . .” He stopped and sighed. “They play an inch from the net. It is like wham, bam, thank you ma’am.
“If you cut out doubles and gave that money to singles players ranked between 200 and 1,000, maybe that would do something for the game. Then some other guy who never really had the chance to play ends up becoming No 100 in the world instead of quitting when he’s No 400.
“Most doubles players, I hate to say, are the slow guys who were not quick enough to play singles.” The most successful male Americans of the moment - financially at any rate - are the Floridian twins Bob and Mike Bryan, whose 344 consecutive weeks at the top of the rankings is a record for any pairing.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/te...to-be-ditched-from-the-major-tournaments.html

 

[Team10]

This is really old news. Johnny Mac has been saying this for a while now.

 

[slice bh compliment]

"Mischievous, chicanerous and deplorable."

It is wimbledon so the press has to really step things up to sell papers!

Mac has a point about improving the money at the challenger and futures level. That would impact the game. I would like to see actual facts detailing the subsidy of doubles by the tour and its real impact on the low/middle level of the tour. That would make mac look less like an attention hound and more of an intelligent commentator and respected elder of the sport.

Hack article, overall. Very provocative (and not in the fun way), and simply incomplete.

Speaking of facts...
This article says the bryan brothers are floridians. most actual tennis fans know they are californians living in florida.

They grew up in camarillo, played socal jrs, then played at standfert univarcity.

 

[Bartelby]

His more interesting point is that there are only put-away volleys in modern doubles.

 

[AngieB]

God bless John McEnroe. I can't help but to think his outrageous statement regarding doubles is a public relations ploy to lure the Brian Brothers into some doubles grudge match that would give him a nice payday. Similar to what Bobby Riggs did to get his match against Billie Jean King.

Praise The Lord.

AngieB

 

[The Green Mile]

God bless John McEnroe. I can't help but to think his outrageous statement regarding doubles is a public relations ploy to lure the Brian Brothers into some doubles grudge match that would give him a nice payday. Similar to what Bobby Riggs did to get his match against Billie Jean King.

Praise The Lord.

AngieB

It is already happened. The McEnroe brothers were ABSOLUTELY DESTROYED by the Bryan Brothers a while back... now I need to think of a cool final thing to say........

Stay Classy....ehhh

The Green Mile

 

[Steady Eddy]

He's not thinking this through. If we did away with singles, think of how much money that could free up for doubles teams that don't make enough $$.

 

[slice bh compliment]

Haha....yes.
If we did away with tennis and golf, think of the serious money it would free up for football. Both kinds of football are clearly in need of more marketing, more attention and additional advertisement and tv revenue! And rasslin' could use some help, too. And reality television!

 

[Cesc Fabregas]

He's right. Modern doubles is terrible to watch. Only interesting when the likes of Federer and Nadal play.

 

[slice bh compliment]

I only partially agree with this, cesc.

Dubs has gone astray, yes. But I like some teams. Agreed...I definitely like when rf or nadal play dubs. But for me, the best is when dolgopolov, the x man, marrero and tabasco, marc lopez and granollers et al play well. Singles guys who can rock the ball and play fun dubs. I also like zimo and nestor vs the bryans.
I love when a volleyer withstands constant abuse and redirects the ball well. I also love when a baseliner can rush a crazy closer.

I suppose dubs is indeed rife with the slow guys only able to cover half a court. Remember the jensen brothers?

I enjoy watching lee paes and anyone, and roger and anyone.

Can you imagine roger and paes together?

Anyway, john is doing his best for himself, and secondarily, also, for the game.

 

[big ted]

It is already happened. The McEnroe brothers were ABSOLUTELY DESTROYED by the Bryan Brothers a while back..

i remember the match too it was embarassing to watch because it looked like the bryans took what mcenroe said personally and they didnt let up at all. they also hit to patrick mcenroe 90% of the time.

its funny how times change though, because i remember years and years ago watching the usopen and wayne bryan challenged mac on live national tv for a doubles match against his twins (who were mostly unknown at the time) and mac flat out said no saying he had nothing to gain from it so whats the point

 

[Vanhool]

I think more of the top men would play dubs if the slams were best of 3 until the quarters. It's just too much. Not having the top guys in the mix definitely diminishes it IMO.

It's easier (not easy, but easier by comparison) for the top women to play dubs since it's all best if 3. I love it when the WS play doubles! And I think playing doubles improves a players performance in singles, and that is valuable to the sport as a whole.

I never watch the men's doubles, but I sometimes watch women's (mixed is fun too, but it's usually only shown during hopman cup). Part of why I don't watch the guys is the lack of star power, I guess.

But overall, I think the commentators do a terrible disservice to dubs. The match can be very exciting but they'll be droning on and on, careening far off topic. How can they expect people to be interested in something when the people who are PAID to watch it can't be bothered?

 

[bjk]

I don't think McE understands the role that dubs plays at a tournament. Dubs is there as filler. You can't have a 128 or 256 tournament because the top players can only play so many rounds, so instead the hours/stadiums/seats are filled by dubs matches. So basically it's like the opening act at a concert or the halftime show.

 

[Steady Eddy]

I've learned tennis by playing men's day events, and they are always doubles. Maybe that's why I like to watch doubles? I relate to it more. I like seeing it played well, (that doesn't often happen on men's day). The players volley well, smash well, and move around alot. I think a higher percentage of points end with winners than in singles.

Singles is often boring, even if it is Nadal. I can appreciate his fitness and skill, but it's boring watching someone just wear down opponents. I only pay attention when it's close to the end of the match.

When I didn't know how to play doubles, I didn't like it. But after I got used to it, I just can't go back to singles. It's too much running and not enough smashing.

 

[ttwarrior1]

if they would show the doubles matches, people would watch , people do enjoy watching the doubles

 

[SoBad]

I don't think McE understands the role that dubs plays at a tournament. Dubs is there as filler. You can't have a 128 or 256 tournament because the top players can only play so many rounds, so instead the hours/stadiums/seats are filled by dubs matches. So basically it's like the opening act at a concert or the halftime show.

I agree that doubles are a good filler. If I were to make a change to the existing order, I would look for a way to incentivize singles players to play doubles and discourage doubles specialists from playing.

 

[slice bh compliment]

Nailed it. ^Yes, i remember about five years ago^the atp tried this by reducing draws, shortening matches and scaling prize money and entry opportunities down for dubs specialists.

The campaign was met with fierce opposition with a counter campaign called keep doubles alive, or something to that effect. Traditionalists responded. The Bryans, et al spearheaded it, and did it well, as the atp reversed a few of their changes but kept the shortened match concept.

Naturally this has happened at the college level, with good results....but the tennis has suffered.

Still good as a filler on the atp tour, but something is definitely amiss with the doubles game. The pro-dubs crowd feels dubs is healthy but only suffers from a lack or marketing, citing that most people play dubs after age 30, so they want to watch dubs.

But the fans also want to watch the big names. So, it is a chicken egg situation. Making big names out of dubsmen is tough (hey kidz, watch marcin matkowski, marius fyrstenberg, eric butorac and david marrero host the nickelodeon teen choice wards). Making dubsmen out of big names is tough, too.

Again, like most folks, i love dubs and i play it. I love tennis in general, but if i am paying for tickets a pro event, i am generally at the practice cts or at a singles match. If i am watching pro dubs, it is becaise there is something exceptional there (nestor, paes, bryans, granollers, tabasco, or some singles guys). Davis cup dubs is a different story. I am there regardless of the matchup as tickets are a three day deal.

 

[Russeljones]

Merge the rankings?

 

[joe sch]

Doubles has way more variety and exciting all court tennis play especially compared to singles now.

How can the tennis fans get excited about doubles when its almost never televised ??

Maybe if many of the better singles players played doubles then it would be televised more and get more value per prize money spent ?

I like to see more doubles, not have it terminated !

 

[bjk]

McEnroe has made it pretty plain in the past that he despises lower ranked players. He thinks they make too much money and are lower forms of humanity. Watch how he treats his doubles partners in things like Team Tennis. During broadcasts of matches with lower ranked players, he is always dismissive and disparaging. That's just how he is. So it's not surprising that he wants to eliminate anything that doesn't serve the interests of the Ubermenschen in the top 4.

 

[Rob_C]

Doubles has way more variety and exciting all court tennis play especially compared to singles now.

How can the tennis fans get excited about doubles when its almost never televised ??

Maybe if many of the better singles players played doubles then it would be televised more and get more value per prize money spent ?

I like to see more doubles, not have it terminated !

Whats so exciting about one up, one back doubles?? Which is how the majority of dubs is played on the mens side??

And I would agree that the reason dubs specialists exist is because they couldn't, or no longer can, compete in singles. Bryan Bros included.

And, the story about the Bryan Bros embarrassing the McEnroes, so what. Johnny Mac is close to 60, Pat is in his 50s.

I like watching 'real' dubs, where the teams s & v, and try to get to the net. Dont really watch dubs tho. Last good dubs match I saw was at last yrs US Open, the Bryan Bros against Fleming/Marray I believe. Only reason I watched was bc I was still in shock that Fed had just lost to Robredo.

Both teams s&v'd. Lots of exchanges with both teams at the net.

 

[Nostradamus]

Federer and Wawrinka at their best on the best day would be handled easily by Bryan twins. so what about that ?

 

[Rob_C]

Federer and Wawrinka at their best on the best day would be handled easily by Bryan twins. so what about that ?

Whoooops, Feddie!!!

Federer/Wawrinka beat the Bryans at the Beijing Olympics.

 

[slice bh compliment]

Johnny Mac is close to 60, Pat is in his 50s.

I like watching 'real' dubs, where the teams s & v, and try to get to the net. Dont really watch dubs tho. Last good dubs match I saw was at last yrs US Open, the Bryan Bros against Fleming/Marray I believe...

John is 55. Pat, i believe is almost 48.

But i am with you, macs vs bryans is not really a fair fight.
Also with you in that the bryans vs colin fleming/jon marray was a good matchup, stylistically.

 

[Steady Eddy]

I think they need to get rid of commentators. They just distract from the tennis match.

 

[Sentinel]

Slice, no love for The Worm ??????

 

[slice bh compliment]

Haha, yes, i like the stepper, especially alongside paes. Character-wise, i am not sure, but he plays a good game.