Wimbledon champion demands meeting with ATP Tour over changes to sport

Controversial ATP Tour changes reportedly in the works have been criticised by one of Wimbledon's 2026 champions.

Tennis experts have reacted badly to suggestions that the ATP Tour, the global governing body of men's tennis, plans to slash doubles prize money from 20% to 10% of tournament prize money from 2028.

British player Henry Patten is one half of the world's highest-ranked men's doubles pair. Along with partner Harri Heliovaara, the 30-year-old defeated Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic in straight sets this week to claim a second Wimbledon men's doubles title.

In the 2024 and 2026 champions' press conference at the All England Club, Patten took the opportunity to defend the doubles 'product' and call on the ATP Tour to rethink their reported proposals.

"I’ve said it all week, every single round we’ve played, we started on Court 16, 17, something like that. Full crowd," said the Colchester-born doubles specialist.

"We then played on Court 18, full crowd. Played on Court 2 a couple of times, full crowd. Court 1, full crowd. Today, full crowd.

"It’s difficult, because it seems like no matter how many times you do that, there’s like this very strong narrative that the product itself just isn’t good enough. I don’t think that’s true.

"I think we’ve kind of proven that to be wrong. Of course, Wimbledon plays a huge part in that. People come to Wimbledon to watch tennis, whether it’s singles, doubles, wheelchair singles, wheelchair doubles, juniors, or exhibition. People come to Wimbledon to watch tennis."

Hailing the power of doubles tennis to play a part in the ATP Tour's role in growing the sport, Patten was critical of the perceived lack of exposure for doubles at Wimbledon on the part of the tour but remained positive in his apparent attitude towards the idea of a collaborative outcome.

"We’re hoping to set up some meetings," said Patten after confirming that no conversation between himself and the governing body has yet taken place.

"That’s through the head of player relations at the ATP. I have to go through him. I asked for the contact details of the tournament directors of the ATP.

"I’d really like to speak to them, see if they have any ideas, see how doubles players can bring value to them outside of just playing doubles matches, whether that’s ProAms, playing with sponsors, or other things.

"I’m optimistic that those meetings will happen with time. A small group of doubles players, hopefully, will be able to sit down and meet with the higher-ups, as it were. I hope that will happen, but it hasn’t happened yet. We’re trying."

Patten and Heliovaara storm to victory

The two-time Wimbledon champion and his partner recorded their most straightforward win since their straight-sets success in the first round.

They need three sets to beat Americans Mac Kiger and Patrik Trhac in the second round and Czech pair Adam Pavlasek and Patrik Riki in the third.

Their quarter-final win against Guido Andreozzi and Manuel Guinard ended in an epic final-set tiebreaker and both sets in the semi-final also went the distance before Patten and Heliovaara got over the line.