As we all know tennis is a unique sport. It however can become even more unique when
you take a look at singles and doubles, and see how they can be so different. Variations between singles and doubles include, scoring system, tactics, as well as different mental and physical efforts.
Many singles players don’t want to play doubles, in order to save energy for their
singles matches. With the level of tennis these days, it is completely reasonable and understandable that they would make that decision. But what if you are coming back from
an injury? What if your singles game needs a little sparkle? What if you start
loosing singles matches and not having enough of competition?
So lets see if actually doubles can actually help your singles!
Master your serve and return.
The serve and return are the two most important shots in the game. Basically, the point cannot start without one player hitting a serve and for a rally to exist, somebody has to make a return. So a doubles match is a great opportunity for you to master your serve and return. Placement of your serve in doubles is sometimes harder because it feels as though you have less of a court to work with.
Finishing the point at the net.
If you are an attacking player and feel like you need to come to the net more during your singles matches, then doubles would be great for you to practice those skill under match conditions. You have to time your volleys, predict where opponent is going to play and most importantly, you need to be brave. I have seen singles players coming to the net and
then running back to the baseline. It shows that a player is agressive enough
to take advantage of a short ball but not confident enough to win the point with a volley. By playing doubles you can build up your confidence at the net.
Work on being aggressive.
There is no way you are going to have success on the doubles court by playing a passive game style. Doubles is all about making things happen, with combinations on serve and return, passing shots, crossing at the net. There are not many unforced errors, so you won’t win many matches by waiting for your opponent to make an error. You really have to go for it and be agressive. If thats what is missing in your singles matches maybe its time to try and play some doubles?
Laser focus
Because of the new scoring system in doubles, no ad-scoring with a deciding point and no final set, rather a match tie-break, its become a very cut throat game. Every point is critical, making it very mentally challenging. You have to make the right choices, find the balance between being aggressive and but at the same time not taking unnecessary risky.
Many players say that the match tie break to 10 points is like the lottery. You have to get a little lucky sometimes as it’s practically a toss of the coin! The format puts you under significant pressure and requires your to be very focused.
Smooth start at the tournament.
A lot of players prefer to start tournaments with a doubles match. Often, the format of the tournament allows competitors to request that they player doubles before the play their first round of singles. It can actually be great preparation for singles as you are ‘practicing’ under match conditions. This includes a chance to get used to the court surface, balls, weather, etc. These variables often change from tournament to tournament, so it is not a bad idea to help your singles performance by starting with a doubles match.
Faster come back after injury.
Tennis is a very tough sport and players frequently get injured. As a tennis coach, I would advise my players to start their comeback by playing only doubles for a couple of weeks. It’s a lot less of physical work on a court compared to a singles match and it’s a great way to check if their body is fit and ready after injury. Also, after being off the tour for some
time, players need to get as many official matches played as possible, so
playing doubles can ‘double’ that number.
Building Confidence.
The most recent best example of doubles boosting a players confidence and helping them get great singles results is Elena Vesnina. She has Roland Garros 2012, US Open 2014 and Olypmpics 2016 in doubles partnering Ekaterina Makarova. This year, at 30 years of age Vesnina has won her first premier event in Inidian Wells in singles and reached her career best singles ranking of 13 in the world.
When it comes to building confidence, a win is a WIN. I have seen players struggling and not winning a singles match for months. I have also seen how having better results in doubles can help a players singles performance in a positive way. The victories in doubles allow you to compensate for losing singles matches because you are still having wins. The feeling and desire to win are the same no matter what game you play. The wins give you confidence and keep your mind and body strong. As they always say, confidence is the key to success!