Why Doubles Is Worth Watching—and Worth Protecting
How holding, faking, poaching, and hovering reveal the strategy that makes doubles one of tennis’s most valuable formats.
The current conversation around professional doubles is about more than draw sizes, prize money, or television coverage.
It is also a conversation about what makes this format of tennis so unique—and why it continues to matter.
Recent reports suggest the ATP is considering significant changes to professional doubles, including smaller tournament draws and a reduced share of prize money.
While these proposals are still being discussed, they have sparked an important debate throughout the tennis world.
Whether those changes happen or not, they raise a larger question:
What makes doubles so valuable in the first place?
For me, the answer has never been about prize money or television ratings.
It is about the game itself.
At Tennis Congress, we spend a great deal of time teaching doubles because it is the version of tennis that many adult players will enjoy throughout their lives. It brings together different personalities, playing styles, strengths, and experiences in a way that singles simply cannot.
More importantly, doubles asks players to solve problems together.
That is what has always fascinated me about it.
More Than Four Players on a Court
If you have never studied a high-level doubles match closely, it can be easy to assume that doubles is simply a faster version of singles.
It is not.
Every point is a series of decisions.
Players are not only reacting to the ball. They are reading each other, studying positioning, recognizing patterns, and communicating—often without saying a word.
The best doubles teams are not always the teams with the biggest serves or the hardest groundstrokes.
More often, they are the teams that make better decisions together.
They recognize patterns sooner.
They communicate more clearly.
They understand how their movements affect both their partner and their opponents.
Those small decisions, repeated point after point, often have a greater impact on the match than any single spectacular shot.
That is one reason doubles deserves more attention. The excitement is not only found in the final volley. It is found in everything that happens before it.
The Four Core Decisions at the Net
Nowhere is that decision-making more visible than in the role of the net player.
From the outside, the net player’s movement can appear instinctive or even random.
In reality, every step should have a purpose.
Most situations come down to four core decisions:
Hold. Fake. Poach. Hover.
Understanding these choices is often what separates a reactive doubles player from one who begins to control the point.
Hold
Sometimes the smartest decision is not moving at all.
Holding your position protects the line, keeps your team balanced, and shows confidence in the partner playing behind you.
The temptation is to move simply because movement feels active.
Players may feel that they need to cross, pinch, or show constant motion to influence the point.
Experienced doubles players understand that patience can be just as effective as action.
A well-timed hold can take away the opponent’s safest target. It can also prevent the net player from opening too much space before the quality and direction of the ball are clear.
Holding is not passive.
It is a deliberate decision to protect the right part of the court.
Fake
A good fake is not necessarily about touching the ball.
It is about influencing the person hitting it.
One convincing step toward the middle can create hesitation, change the returner’s target, or tempt an opponent into attempting a lower-percentage shot.
That is one of the unique qualities of doubles:
You can influence the outcome of a point without ever making contact with the ball.
The key is making the fake believable.
The movement should resemble the beginning of a real poach. If it is too early, too dramatic, or too predictable, the returner may recognize it and respond comfortably.
A strong fake creates uncertainty.
For just a moment, the returner has to wonder:
Are they crossing?
Is the middle still available?
Should I change direction?
That moment of doubt can be enough to change the point.
Poach
Poaching is probably the movement most people associate with doubles.
It is aggressive, visible, and often ends with a decisive volley.
But successful poaching is not built on speed alone.
It is built on anticipation.
A strong serve may force a late return.
A predictable return pattern may create an opportunity.
A clear signal between partners may allow the net player to move with confidence.
When those pieces come together, the poach is not a gamble.
It is the right decision at the right time.
The best poachers do not wait until the ball has already crossed the net to begin moving.
They recognize clues early and commit to the play.
That commitment matters.
A hesitant poach can leave both partners covering the same area—or neither player covering the open court.
A decisive poach allows the team to move as one unit.
Hover
Hovering exists somewhere between holding and fully committing to a poach.
The net player begins moving toward the middle and becomes more involved in the point, but remains flexible enough to react.
Sometimes this includes pinching toward the center to reduce the space available to the opponent.
The player is not necessarily crossing to take the next ball, but is placing themselves close enough to become a threat.
Hovering narrows the opponent’s options.
It can make the middle feel smaller, discourage a floating crosscourt return, and position the net player to attack a weak ball.
Sometimes that subtle movement is all it takes to make an opponent second-guess their shot selection.
The best doubles players understand that pressure is not created only by hitting the ball.
Sometimes it is created by simply being in the right place.
See These Decisions in Action
Reading about doubles positioning is one thing.
Seeing these decisions unfold on the court is another.
In this lesson, Coach Carla introduces a simple three-step framework designed to help net players make better decisions before the ball crosses the net.
Rather than reacting at the last possible moment, players learn how to recognize patterns, anticipate what their opponents are likely to do, and select the right position for the situation.
That may mean holding the line, showing a fake, committing to a poach, pinching toward the middle, or hovering in a position that creates pressure.
As you watch, do not focus only on how quickly the players move.
Pay attention to why they move.
That is where smarter doubles begins.
Watch the Youtube Video Here:
Why These Decisions Matter
One of the most rewarding moments as a coach is watching players begin to recognize these patterns for themselves.
At first, they only see the volley.
Then they begin to notice the movement that happened before the volley.
Eventually, they understand why that movement occurred.
That is when doubles becomes a completely different game.
You are no longer watching four players exchanging shots.
You are watching two teams constantly creating and solving problems together.
Should I pressure the middle?
Should I protect the line?
Is this the right moment to poach?
Can I make the returner uncomfortable without touching the ball?
Should I move now, or wait for more information?
Those questions are being answered during every point, often in only a few seconds.
That is the intelligence of doubles.
It is fast, but it is not thoughtless.
It is social, but it is not casual.
It rewards athletic ability, but it also rewards awareness, patience, trust, and communication.
Looking Beyond the Headlines
Whether professional doubles changes in the coming years remains to be seen.
The business side of tennis will always involve difficult decisions.
Tournament organizers must consider scheduling, court availability, fan interest, television coverage, and financial realities.
But I hope one thing never changes:
I hope more players discover just how enjoyable—and intellectually rewarding—doubles can be.
For many of us, doubles is where lifelong friendships are built.
It is where communication matters as much as technique and where strategy can matter just as much as execution.
It is also where many adult players spend the majority of their competitive tennis lives.
That is why doubles deserves greater appreciation.
Not simply because it has always been part of professional tennis, but because it offers something that no other part of the sport can completely replace.
A Better Way to Watch—and Play
The next time you watch a doubles match, whether it is at your local club or on the professional tour, try looking beyond the ball.
Watch the net player.
Notice when they hold.
When they fake.
When they poach.
When they hover.
Pay attention to how their movement changes the returner’s options. Look at how their partner responds.
Ask yourself why they made that particular choice.
You may find that the most interesting part of the point is not the winning volley.
It is the decision that happened before it.
The more you begin to notice those moments, the more you will appreciate what makes doubles such a unique and rewarding game.
And the more clearly we understand what makes doubles special, the stronger the case becomes for protecting its place in tennis.
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