British doubles star Henry Patten blasts ATP Tour cuts proposal ahead of Wimbledon final

British tennis star Henry Patten belives that only a victory in the Wimbledon men’s doubles final on Saturday will guarantee him and partner Harri Heliovaara a coveted spot on the ATP Tour’s Instagram page, amid an escalating civil war within the sport.

The prestigious four-man format at the All England Club has been overshadowed by a controversial proposal, presented at an ATP Player Council meeting last week, which suggests halving doubles draws and reducing prize money from 2028 to favour singles players. This move has ignited widespread outrage within the doubles community, with British left-hander Patten emerging as one of its most vocal critics.

Despite the off-court turmoil, Patten and Heliovaara have maintained their focus, securing their place in Saturday’s showpiece on Centre Court. They triumphed over Thanasi Kokkinakis and Aleksandar Kovacevic with a hard-fought 7-6 (2) 7-6 (8) victory in front of a packed Court One crowd on Thursday, setting up a final clash against Mate Pavic and Marcelo Arevalo.

However, even this thrilling semi-final win, much like their runner-up finish at Roland Garros, has yet to earn them a mention on the ATP’s social media channels.

“The reality is you need to win a slam or be in the final of a slam to be anywhere near their Instagram page. I don’t see why they couldn’t promote eight guys,” Patten stated, directly challenging the ATP’s approach.

He dismissed the organisation’s arguments, adding: “Their argument is, ‘oh you guys are always changing your partnerships,’ – no, the top guys are not. So, they have these odd narratives like, ‘no one watches doubles,’ but Wimbledon have done a pretty good job of selling out crowds for doubles this week on every court.”

Patten further criticised the ATP’s dismissive stance towards Wimbledon’s success: “They would say it doesn’t really count because it’s Wimbledon, everyone is there, but what are you talking about? Of course it counts.

“You should be aiming for your tournaments to be as successful as these, so I would love to see them change their mindset with the doubles. I would love them to see it as an opportunity for growth alongside the singles, but we’ll see.”

The two-time grand slam champion has consistently opposed the proposals, which he notes were developed with minimal consultation, despite the ATP’s stated aim to pursue “a more sustainable long-term model while maintaining doubles’ important role on the tour”.

Patten, who honed his skills on the Challenger Tour and had not progressed beyond the third round of a major before his 2024 Wimbledon doubles win, fears these changes could stifle the emergence of players like himself.

“They are talking about cutting lots of jobs effectively and it means in 10 years’ time, if these proposals go ahead, they are basically saying people like me shouldn’t be on the ATP Tour, which I take quite personally and I think is wrong,” Patten asserted.

He called for direct engagement with the sport’s leadership: “We need to get in front of board members, the CEO and the chairman. We need to sit down and talk to them. We’re tired of the discussions going on behind closed doors and the players having to react to that. It is not good enough.”

As the final approaches, Patten is channelling his focus towards avenging a previous defeat against Pavic and Arevalo, who bested the duo on grass at Queen’s Club. “It will be a difficult match but we have to remind ourselves that we’re doing really well and to go for it,” Patten insisted.

The Press Association has sought comment from the ATP regarding the ongoing dispute.