Tennis: Why do good doubles players usually fare so badly in singles competitions?

Answer 1

I play doubles and I'm slower than most singles players. Also the strategy is 1000x's different

Answer 2

They rely on both different skills and different strategies. In doubles, there is less baselining and more volleying. The court is wider so there are more cross-court opportunities and sometimes you even want to drive the ball right down the middle to split the opponents, not advisable in singles.

P.S. - McEnroe was a great volleyer and had exceptional reflexes so that made him a good doubles player as well as a good singles player. It can happen but its as rare as a two-sport athlete these days. Navritalova was just an exceptional all-round athlete -she could probably have done well in many sports.

Answer 3

The doubles specialists usually have a specific skill set, which they perfect over time, but they have weaknesses that can be exposed in singles.

Doubles player must have good volleying skills and sharp passing shots. However they don't necessarily have to build points rallying and hitting consistent baseline groundstrokes. You can rush the net all the time, while in singles you have to have a more complete game.

Apart from that, some of the talented players usually focus their energy on singles since it has more prestige and prize money, and in the process don't hone their doubles skill.

Answer 4

I'm not sure that this is the case, as much as that the top singles players don't usually enter the he doubles draws anymore --less $, more of a grind, etc. But, doubles should not take away from singles performance. Two not-too-distant great examples of this are: Martina Navratilova and John McEnroe who were the best singles and doubles players of their time.

Answer 5

They are like two different games - great individual players are so focused on their own game they can find it difficult to work with a doubles partner. Great doubles players sometimes don't have the individual strengths to their game and have weaknesses but, teamed up with an appopriate partner their weaknesses are taken over by their partners.

Answer 6

They dont mix very well. Its like playing a shooting game for 5+ hours, then trying to play an rts. You just wont be used to it.

Answer 7

im used to playing doubles, and i do kinda bad in singles cus im used to having a partner, and the strategy is reaallllyy different! it bugs me also that you have to hit within the singles line and not the alleys, and im used to hitting it into the alleys.

Answer 8

It's a totally different game, different strategy alltogether.

Answer 9

they play as a team in doubles & know each others play

Answer 10

Without a partner to cover the other half, they have to play the whole court.