The ATP is getting ready to change men’s doubles to its core, and the figures being thrown around are quite significant. According to tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg, the Tour is drawing up plans to shrink doubles draw sizes and cut into the format’s share of prize money as part of a broader internal initiative known as “Product 28,” aimed at overhauling the sport’s structures by 2028. 

The proposals were first presented to the ATP Player Council roughly two months ago at the Rome 1000, and doubles players themselves met with their council representatives this week at Wimbledon to discuss them further. The plan involves reducing the Masters 1000 doubles from 32 pairs to 16, and ATP 500 and 250 events from 16 pairs to eight. As reported by Rothenberg, the idea is that doubles are a niche for specialists and have grown increasingly separate from the singles game that they once shared. 

The other pressure is the prize money. For the past decade, ATP tournaments have favored singles with an 80-20 split, while Grand Slams lean closer to 90-10, with men’s singles taking 88.9 percent of the prize at Wimbledon, including qualifying. On the other hand, the industry’s revenue from doubles falls into the single-digit percentage bracket. The total prize money for doubles was anticipated to be roughly 60 million dollars by 2028 across Slams, Tour events, and Challengers, though the ATP considered it excessive due to the format’s low revenue. 

The ATP has not confirmed specific numbers publicly, but did address the review in a statement. “We continually review our structure, rules, and processes to strengthen the Tour’s future development. As part of this process, we are assessing the doubles product, draw sizes, and player compensation distribution to create a more sustainable long-term model while maintaining doubles’ important role on the Tour,” the statement read. 

The ATP also said the review will look at how the doubles format could be changed to make more prize money available for early-round singles players who want to continue playing on Tour. Past efforts to grow doubles commercially, including expanded coverage on TennisTV, have done little to move the needle, and that failure appears to be shaping how seriously this latest review is being taken behind closed doors. 

Doubles specialists face an uncertain future as reports diverge on the numbers

Other sources, such as Spazio Tennis, agree with Rothenberg’s report that an 80-20 split is possible, potentially shifting to 90-10, which would halve the prize money for doubles teams. Rothenberg has not validated that number in his own reporting, but the trajectory of all the reports is the same: fewer funds, fewer fields, and a system that is being described as needing an overhaul of the doubles ranking points system to better accommodate smaller fields. 

The addition of the timing is another element of the story. The new Masters 1000 initiative to join the calendar in 2028 is widely believed to have been a major reason for the comprehensive review, providing ATP leadership with a natural place to review the calendar and prize pool in its entirety. For the doubles players currently competing at Wimbledon, including defending champions Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool, and contenders like Horacio Zeballos and the pairing of Harri Heliövaara and Henry Patten, all are still in the mix for the world number one doubles ranking this fortnight. 

The proposals raise serious questions about a career that might rely only on doubles in two years. Younger specialists without enough tour years to qualify for ATP retirement benefits are seen as particularly exposed if the changes go through as reported. 

It is not finalized yet, and the ATP has reiterated that any changes will only come after additional consultation with players, tournaments, and its Board. The future of men’s doubles is uncertain as the Player Council meeting at Wimbledon has begun, and doubles players are throwing their weight around, with the next few months likely to decide the events of the next edition in 2028.