I’ve followed the tour closely since the early 2000s and have been covering doubles for the last 4-5 years. Never do I remember a season with so much doubles partnership influx among top WTA and ATP doubles teams, especially on the WTA.
At the beginning of an Olympic year, it’s common to see teams of different nationalities split up to join forces with fellow countrymen and countrywomen. In countries with stacked rosters like the U.S. and Czech Republic, this can be a strategic move to help boost players’ chances of qualifying in a tight Olympics race.
The 2024 season, however, appears to be an exception to this rule. While several new teams have announced plans to play together, most of them play for different countries and didn’t team up with the Olympics in mind.
WTA Doubles Preview: Six New Teams on the Block
The 2024 doubles game of musical chairs echoes loudest on the WTA tour. The highest profile partnership split, Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova, announced their mutual decision to go in different directions after a disappointing season finish at the 2023 WTA Finals in Cancun. The Australian Open defending champions, former No. 1s and 7-time major winners have been the most dominant doubles team on either tour this decade by far.
Among the top eight teams who competed at the WTA Finals in Cancun, only three pairs remain intact just two months later as we kick off the 2024 season:
- No. 1 Coco Gauff & Jess Pegula: The top-seeded American duo, who have yet to win a doubles major together, will play a lighter doubles schedule this year and have their eyes set on Olympic medals in singles and doubles.
- No. 4 Gaby Dabrowksi & Erin Routliffe: The 2023 U.S. Open champions first teamed up last summer and finished the year as one of the top teams to beat.
- No. 7 Nicole Melichar-Martinez & Ellen Perez: Entering their third season together, the American-Aussie duo has the weapons to beat anyone when they are in the zone and will have little points to defend at the start of the season.
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Carlos Martinez Interview: The husband of Nicole Melichar-Martinez and coach of Melichar/Perez shares his tennis story and life behind the scenes as a top WTA doubles coach.
Apart from the established teams above, four of the top 5 seeds and six of the top 10 seeds on the Australian Open women’s doubles entry list are new or reunited partnerships who will be compelling to watch compete in Melbourne. Let the doubles merry-go-round begin.
Hsieh Su-Wei & Elise Mertens: Reunited and It Feels So Good
The 2021 Wimbledon champions reunite in hopes to build a successful 2024 campaign and replicate their doubles magic from a few years ago. With 50 WTA doubles titles and nine majors between the two, Hsieh Su-wei with six and Elise Mertens with three, the No. 2 seeds are the most accomplished team in the field.
Hsieh’s crafty, quirky game style combined with Mertens’ lob and baseline ability will make them a tough out against any team. Mertens, a 2021 Australian Open champion, comes into 2024 with momentum after being voted the WTA Doubles Team of the Year in 2023 with Storm Hunter. After taking an 18-month break from tour, Hsieh returned last summer in convincing fashion by winning the “Channel Slam” with back-to-back majors at 2023 Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
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Hsieh Su-wei Feature: Hsieh captures the “Channel Slam” with two different doubles partners after being sidelined from the tour for 18 months.
Storm Hunter & Katerina Siniakova: Steady Meets Spicy
In a partnership of the current and former World No. 1s, Storm Hunter and Katerina Siniakova appear destined for doubles success on paper. Siniakova is a 7-time major champion who is one of the most explosive movers at the net, but her temper can often get the best of her.
World No. 1 Hunter, who was named 2023 WTA Doubles Team of the Year alongside Mertens, brings a big lefty game and low-key demeanor that should complement Siniakova well on court, both tactically and emotionally. Can Siniakova help lead Hunter to her first women’s doubles major at her home slam in Melbourne?
With a runner-up performance in Adelaide last year, they’ve already proven capable of doubles success together.
Barbora Krejcikova & Laura Siegemund: Doubles Alphas Combine
In their prior doubles partnerships, both Barbora Krejcikova and Laura Siegemund were considered the unofficial “alphas” who called the shots on court. Krejcikova, a 7-time women’s doubles major champion and former No. 1, reads the court well and has the ability to direct her forehand just about anywhere.
Siegemund, who won four titles in 2023 including the WTA Finals alongside Vera Zvonareva, is one of the fieriest players on tour with a high doubles IQ and plays aggressively at the net. She comes into Melbourne with fine form after carrying Germany to the United Cup title in dramatic mixed doubles fashion.
If they can figure out partnership roles and dynamics, the No. 5 seeds should have the highest doubles ceiling of anyone in the field.
Beatriz Haddad-Maia & Taylor Townsend: Lefty Doubles Delight
Results aside, you can guarantee this team will draw serious crowds with two fan favorites joining forces in doubles. Last year, Taylor Townsend and former partner Leylah Fernandez (“Taylah” delighted fans as an all-lefty-duo who made a terrific run that just came short of qualifying for the WTA Finals.
Beatriz Haddad-Maia, an Australian Open doubles finalist in 2022, has proven capable of doubles success with multiple partners including Anna Danilina and Victoria Azarenka. Townsend is a two-time major finalist with Leylah Fernandez and Caty McNally. With mutual attacking lefty game styles, expect the No. 8 seeds to start out hot with both players hungry for their first major title.
They’ve started off 2024 in convincing fashion thus far by winning the WTA 500 Title in Adelaide with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic. The win marked Townsend’s third consecutive doubles title in Adelaide.
Desirae Krawczyk & Ena Shibahara: Forehands First
At the 2023 WTA Finals, Ena Shibahara announced her plans to prioritize singles over doubles in 2024, outside of the grand slams. As the defending Australian Open runner-up alongside Shuko Aoyama, No. 14 Shibahara will take the court in Melbourne with a different partner this year in American Desirae Krawczyk.
No. 17 Krawczyk, a 2023 Australian Open quarterfinalist, split from former partner Demi Schuurs after successful 2022-2023 campaigns that included three titles together and back-to-back WTA Finals appearances. The No. 6 seeds rely on a forehand-heavy game style off both wings and will look to leverage their lefty-righty approach to their advantage.
Demi Schuurs & Luisa Stefani: Old School Doubles Display
Expect Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani to be easy on the eyes for tennis purists. The ninth seeds both play classic doubles with impeccable hands and a serve-and-volley attacking style. Both players have proven capable of winning titles with a wide range of partners throughout their career.
Stefani, age 26, has won eight career titles with six different partners, including two WTA Masters 1000 events. Schuurs, age 30, has racked up 17 titles with nine partners, which includes four WTA Masters 1000 events. Both players are still gunning for their first women’s doubles major.
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ATP Doubles Preview: Six New Teams to Watch
The most notable partnership breakup on the ATP, former world No. 1s Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski, announced their split at the end of 2023. Koolhof will retire at the end of 2024 and decided to play his final season with good friend and former partner, Nikola Mektic.
The only apparent Olympic-driven doubles breakup happened between Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin, the 39-year-old French veteran who will be playing with countrymen Nicolas Mahut in hopes for a successful Olympic run in Paris. Contrary to the WTA, five of eight teams who competed at the 2023 ATP Finals in Turin are playing together again in 2024:
- No. 1 Ivan Dodig & Austin Krajicek: The Croatian-American duo enter their third season together after a stellar 2023 season where they won Roland Garros, reached No. 1 and were named ATP Doubles Team of the Year.
- No. 2 Matt Ebden & Rohan Bopanna: The hottest new team of 2023 impressed from start to finish but will seek to improve their 2-5 finals record that included a heartbreaking U.S. Open finals loss.
- No. 3 Rajeev Ram & Joe Salisbury: The most accomplished team in the field made history last year by winning the U.S. Open three-peat and will look to regain their 2020 Melbourne magic this year in their quest for their fifth doubles major together. They’ve started off 2024 right where they left off last year with a title in Adelaide, defeating Ebden/Bopanna 7-5, 5-7, 11-9 in the finals.
- No. 4 Marcel Granollers & Horacio Zeballos: The veteran Argentine-Spanish team, 2023 Wimbledon runners-up and two-time Australian open semi-finalists, have been a pillar of consistency year-after-year but tend to blink during the finals stages at majors.
- No. 6 Maximo Gonzalez & Andres Molteni: The Argentine duo completed a career-best season in 2023 with five titles, including back-to-back wins in Washington and Cincinnati, that helped them qualify for the ATP Finals.
Apart from the established teams, there are six new or notable partnerships who should be dangerous in the draw and compelling to watch unfold. Two of the teams, Arevalo/Pavic and Glasspool/Rojer, already won respective titles to kick off 2024 in Hong Kong and Brisbane.
Santiago Gonzalez & Neal Skupski, No. 5 seed
Forty-year-old Santiago Gonzalez comes into the 2024 season after a career-best year in 2023 with five titles and a debut ATP Finals appearance alongside Edouard Roger-Vasselin. This year, he’s teaming up with 34-year-old Neal Skupski, who comes off a stellar season that saw him capture his first grand slam doubles title on home soil at Wimbledon alongside former partner, Wesley Koolhof.
Skupski and Gonzalez, both two-time quarterfinalists in Melbourne, have 38 career titles between the pair and will look to best their Australian Open campaign with a semi-finals performance or better.
Lloyd Glasspool & Jean-Julien Rojer, No. 11 seed
The Australian Open is the only major that 42-year-old Jean-Julien Rojer hasn’t won throughout his successful 20-year doubles career. After two seasons with Marcelo Arevalo highlighted by a Roland Garros title together in 2022, Rojer parted ways with “Chelo” at the end of last year and will enter 2024 alongside Lloyd Glasspool.
The 30-year-old Brit reached the top 10 for the first time in his career last summer with former partner Harri Heliovaara. Can he help Rojer capture the career grand slam in Melbourne? They’ve come out of the gates in convincing fashion so far in 2024 with the Brisbane title, defeating Kevin Krawietz/Tim Puetz 7-6, 5-7, 12-10 in a three-set thriller.
Nicolas Mahut & Edouard Roger-Vasselin, No. 13 seed
The pair of French veterans are getting the doubles band back together with their sights firmly on a doubles run at the Paris Olympics. Nicolas Mahut, age 41, is arguably the most accomplished doubles player in the field with five doubles majors, the career grand slam and 37 career titles.
Forty-year-old Edouard Roger Vasselin is a 2014 Roland Garros champion with 28 career titles. He and Mahut have enjoyed multiple successful partnership stints throughout their long career with eight titles together.
Could the Olympics on home soil at Roland Garros signify a final career curtain call for either player? It would be a storybook ending to their long careers.
Wesley Koolhof & Nikola Mektic, No. 14 seed
Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic represent yet another ATP doubles partnership reunion. The Dutch-Croatian pair captured the 2020 ATP Finals title before Mektic joined forces with Pavic to play the 2021 Tokyo Olympics together, where they won the gold medal for Croatia.
One of the game’s best returners, Koolhof brings an all-court game in a serve-heavy doubles landscape that make him an excellent partner and difficult opponent in any matchup. Alongside Skupski, he captured his first doubles major last year at Wimbledon and is a two-time quarterfinalist in Melbourne.
Mektic, a 2020 Australian Open mixed doubles champion, also won his lone major title at Wimbledon in 2021. His best result in Melbourne came in 2021 with a semi-finals finish. Look for the No. 14 seeds to make waves in the Australian Open draw regardless of their section.
Koolhof and Mektic quickly returned to their winning ways by kicking off their season with a title at the ASB Classic in Auckland. In the finals, they defeated Granollers/Zeballos 6-3, 6-7, 10-7.
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Rob Morgan Interview: Wesley Koolhof’s coach talks doubles strategy and shares more insight behind life as a top ATP doubles coach.
Marcelo Arevalo & Mate Pavic, No. 10 seed
The pride of El Salvador, Marcelo “Chelo” Arevalo brings the energy and enthusiasm wherever he plays. Unlike many top ATP doubles players, Chelo tends to hug the baseline relying on his big serve and forehand. The 33-year-old reached his career peak with Rojer in 2022-2023, where they won eight ATP titles together including Roland Garros in 2022.
Though three years his junior, 30-year-old Mate Pavic brings the experience in this partnership with three major titles, two slam runner-up performances, an Olympic gold medal and 36 career doubles titles. His aggressive lefty game style should complement Arevalo’s baseline tendencies.
They ‘ve already started off 2024 on a high note by capturing the ATP 250 title in Hong Kong, defeating Sander Gille/Joran Vliegen 7-6, 6-4 in the finals.
Harrio Heliovaara & John Peers
Thirty-four-year-old Harri Heliovaara cracked the top 10 for the first time in 2023 alongside former partner, Lloyd Glasspool. The two parted ways for the 2024 season and Heliovaara will now be teaming up with Aussie veteran, John Peers, in Melbourne.
Peers, 35, is a 2017 Australian Open doubles champion and two-time major finalist with 27 career titles. Heliovaara, who has never advanced past the first week at the Australian Open, will lean on Peers’ experience and Aussie home crowd support as the duo takes the court together in Melbourne.
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Dan Kiernan Interview: Former coach of Harrio Heliovaara/LLoyd Glasspool and current coach of Gaby Dabrowski talks about coaching doubles, offers doubles drills for club-level players and shares more about his podcast, Control the Controllables.
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