"Catch 22 Situation": Singles Players Competing In Doubles Format Is Good For Tennis, Says Rohan Bopanna

Rohan Bopanna said it can't be said in certain terms if it's good or bad but presence of singles players in doubles format does have an advantage.

Veteran Indian tennis player Rohan Bopanna says the presence of singles players in the doubles draws, in a way, is good for the sport as they draw more fans into the stadiums and that goes a long way in promoting the doubles format. The sport lives on the superior, physically and mentally demanding singles style but at the same time the doubles format is also getting tougher by the day because when the top singles player unleash their high-quality game, it makes the doubles matches more interesting, tough and tricky.

When only the doubles rankings were considered for entries, the format was even for its exponents. But acceptance of singles rankings has brought top players and established stars in the fray, making it difficult for doubles player to sustain.

Bopanna said it can't be said in certain terms if it's good or bad but presence of singles players does have an advantage.

"That's a catch 22 situation, talking about it," Bopanna said when he was asked if it wasn't better if only doubles specialists play this format.

"Lot of singles players do play doubles to improve their game. (Denis) Shapovalov (Bopanna's partner) is somebody who enjoys playing doubles and simultaneously he is also learning so much, whether it's his accuracy on returns, his volleys, or returns, which helps him so much in the singles.