Henry Patten, the British men's doubles champion, used his victory speech on Wimbledon's Centre Court to call out the ATP Tour for its proposals to reduce doubles events and prize money. Just minutes after securing his second Wimbledon title, Patten urged the tour to grow opportunities in tennis rather than cut them.
Patten and Heliovaara Retain Wimbledon Doubles Title
Patten and his Finnish partner Harri Heliovaara defeated Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic in straight sets on Saturday afternoon, retaining the title they had previously won in 2024. The duo edged the first set in a tiebreak, and after a controversial hindrance penalty against Patten in the second set, they fought back to win another tiebreak and clinch the match.
Criticism of ATP Tour Proposals
During his on-court speech, Patten said: "It would be remiss of me not to mention that the ATP Tour submitted proposals to cut some of the doubles, and I'm a strong believer we are here to grow the game." He added that doubles can bring joy to crowds, referencing the support they received, and called for growing opportunities for children regardless of their background. "Thank you to Wimbledon for giving this platform to us for the two weeks, you are the best tournament in the world," he concluded.
Details of Proposed Cuts
Patten was referring to ATP proposals that would see only 16 doubles pairings compete at ATP 1000 events and just eight at smaller tournaments. Additionally, there are suggestions that doubles prize money could be slashed from 20 per cent to 10 per cent.
Patten Praises Partner Heliovaara
Patten also praised his partner, saying: "I owe Harri my career, really. When I started, he took a chance on me, and it turned out to be the best decision he ever made, I think." Reflecting on their second title, he said: "It is surreal. When we won the first time, we didn't know if we would have a chance to do it again. We feel so lucky to be here again."
