ATPTour.com’s annual season-in-review sequence seems again at 2022’s finest matches, greatest upsets, most dramatic comebacks and extra.
From big serving and defiant defence to speedy reactions and razor-sharp volleying, the ATP Tour’s doubles motion affords continuous depth and pleasure to followers all over the world.
Regardless of enjoying a format the place every level, sport, set and match could be determined by the best of margins, some pairs have discovered a strategy to persistently rise above the remaining in 2022. At this time, ATPTour.com seems at a few of these best-performing groups from an action-packed season on the doubles circuit.
Koolhof/Skupski Shine In First Yr Collectively
Seven tour-level titles, a 56-19 match file, and the year-end No. 1 doubles crown. As first seasons enjoying collectively go, Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski might hardly have requested for extra.
“We win collectively, lose collectively, share moments on and off courtroom collectively… In January the clicking was there from the start,” stated Koolhof after the pair have been topped ATP Doubles No. 1 introduced by Pepperstone on the Nitto ATP Finals in November. Their achievements in a whirlwind first 12 months as a crew included three ATP Masters 1000 titles, gained in Madrid, Montreal and Paris.
Even modifications in floor or situations did little to gradual the Koolhof/Skupski profitable machine. Their total tally of seven tour-level titles included triumphs on out of doors onerous courts, clay, grass and indoor onerous. In addition they carried out strongly on the majors, reaching the quarter-finals at three of the 4 Grand Slams, together with a championship match run on the US Open.
These stellar performances as a crew propelled each Koolhof and Skupski to the highest of the Pepperstone ATP Doubles Rankings. Dutchman Koolhof hit prime spot on 7 November following the duo’s Rolex Paris Masters triumph, earlier than Nice Britain’s Skupski joined the Dutchman as joint World No. 1 every week later.
Ram/Salisbury Constructed For The Large Stage
Few groups extra persistently introduced their finest to massive events in 2022 than Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury.
The American-British pair lifted its second and third ATP Masters 1000 titles with high-class shows on the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters (Ram and Salisbury’s first tour-level title collectively on clay) and on the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati. They backed up these successes by turning into simply the second crew to efficiently defend the boys’s doubles title on the US Open, after legendary ATP Tour duo Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde.
“These [Masters 1000s and Grand Slams] are those we need to win, the massive ones,” Salisbury instructed ATPTour.com previous to November’s Nitto ATP Finals. “Even when it’s solely a pair a 12 months, these are those we’re going for. I feel it’s good we carry out our greatest at these larger tournaments.”
The pair efficiently continued that pattern with its fourth and closing tour-level of the 12 months in Turin, the place it went undefeated to say its maiden Nitto ATP Finals crown in model and end a standout 12 months on Tour with a 37-14 file.
Similar to Koolhof and Skupski, each Ram and Salisbury rose to grow to be No. 1 within the Pepperstone ATP Doubles Rankings for the primary time in 2022. Salisbury held the place from April till the start of October, when his accomplice Ram took over prime spot till Koolhof’s ascent 5 weeks later.
‘Particular Ks’ Gentle Up Doubles Circuit
“We positively don’t practise doubles in any respect,” stated Nick Kyrgios prior to creating his Nitto ATP Finals debut alongside Thanasi Kokkinakis in November. “We don’t do any doubles drills or something like that. Perhaps it may be a bonus, possibly an obstacle at occasions, as a result of we solely do our personal factor.”
Probably the most uniquely gifted pairs to grace the doubles courtroom in 2022, Kokkinakis and Kyrgios started their season in model by charging to victory at their residence Grand Slam, the Australian Open. A semi-final run in Miami and a second tour-level title as a crew in Atlanta adopted because the pair racked up a 20-7 file throughout the eight tournaments it performed.
But these outcomes solely inform half the story of Kokkinakis and Kyrgios’ time on the doubles courtroom. The pair revelled in placing on a present for followers, who have been engrossed by its thrilling mix of big-serving, outrageous shotmaking, and joyous celebrating. The larger and louder the environment, the extra energised the duo appeared to grow to be.
Regardless of enjoying comparatively few tournaments throughout the season, Kokkinakis and Kyrgios certified for his or her Nitto ATP Finals debut in Turin as one of many eight best-performing groups on Tour. Kokkinakis believes it was a reward for merely sticking to their pure sport.
“I feel we convey our singles strengths onto the doubles courtroom,” he stated in Italy. “If we try to be doubles gamers as an alternative of enjoying our [natural] sport, it’s not going to return out too good for us… I feel we’re going to proceed to play singles on a doubles courtroom.”
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Historical past-Making Arevalo/Rojer’s Large Affect
An 11-match profitable streak sparked first-year pairing Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer’s 2022 season into life. The duo lifted back-to-back ATP Tour titles in Dallas and Delray Seashore in February earlier than a championship match run in Acapulco to announce its arrival as probably the most full groups on the circuit.
That early-season kind laid the muse for a stellar 12 months for the Salvadoran-Dutch pair, which went on to clinch its maiden Grand Slam title at Roland Garros and a fourth tour-level title of the 12 months on the indoor onerous courts of Stockholm in October.
Jean-Julien Rojer/Marcelo Arevalo” />
Rojer & Arevalo raise the trophy at Roland Garros. Photograph Credit score: Adam Fairly/Getty Photographs
Their greatest title triumph of the 12 months virtually by no means occurred. Arevalo and Rojer saved three championship factors towards Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek within the Roland Garros closing earlier than finishing a 6-7(4), 7-6(5), 6-3 win that etched each their names within the historical past books — Arevalo as the primary Grand Slam males’s doubles champion from Central America, and Rojer because the oldest Grand Slam males’s doubles champion within the Open Period.
“I actually need to thank my accomplice,” the then-40-year-old Rojer stated after the dramatic victory in Paris. “We spent lots of time residing and coaching in Miami and we determined to play collectively. I do know this child has a giant coronary heart. He confirmed it in the present day and I thank him. I’m glad he trusts me, and I’m so glad and happy with this second right here.”
Mektic/Pavic Masterclass Continues
Having a profitable debut season collectively is one factor. Backing it up is one other.
But Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic had no issues doing simply that this 12 months. The 2021 year-end No. 1 pair within the Pepperstone ATP Doubles Groups Rankings added 5 ATP Tour titles to their tally with some usually stylish performances throughout a variety of surfaces.
Clay-court crowns in Rome (their fourth collectively at ATP Masters 1000 stage) and Geneva have been adopted by victories on grass at The Queen’s Membership and Eastbourne throughout a red-hot run that noticed the Croatians win 24 of 26 matches throughout six tournaments in Could and June. That included a run to the ultimate at Wimbledon, the place they fell only one win wanting finishing an unbelievable defence of their 2021 Wimbledon title regardless of Pavic enjoying with a fractured wrist from the primary set of their semi-final.
“We gave our greatest and we gave it a struggle,” stated Pavic after Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell prevailed 7-6(5), 6-7(3), 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(10-2) in a marathon championship match at SW19. “I feel we could be very happy with ourselves for these two matches.”
There was to be no stopping Mektic and Pavic in October on the Astana Open, nevertheless, the place they lifted their fifth and closing title of the season on the indoor ATP 500 occasion. The pair then rounded out a formidable 51-21 season with a run to the championship match on the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, their twenty first tour-level closing look in simply two seasons collectively.
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