Every so often, my students surprise me with some rather simple yet challenging tennis questions that I keep thinking of even after I consider I gave them the best answer…
One such question is: “Should I play singles or doubles?”
Most of the players who ask this are beginners or intermediate level in search of their tennis identity: “Am I a singles or doubles player?”
My answer is usually as follows:
“If you don’t mind running, then singles is for you. But if you enjoy team sports and having an easy-going partner to work with, doubles is for you.
The two are different in the sense that in singles you have more court to cover and you’ll have to be quite consistent with your groundstrokes, while in doubles it is more about playing at the net, feeling comfortable with volleys, and strategic placement of your shots.
In my opinion, the game of doubles is more complex and exciting than singles.
Even if a player enjoys the one-on-one competition, they could benefit a lot from playing some doubles matches from time to time.
If you ask me… I like the singles matches. Even though I enjoy a doubles match from time to time, the fact that playing singles means I am responsible for every shot and the effort I put in is mine 100% gives me the assurance that the match is totally up to me and the way I perform on that day.”
Either way… enjoy your tennis!
Cosmin Miholca
Certified Tennis Coach
Check out my work at WebTennis24 where I share with you my best video tennis lessons, drills and tips for players, coaches and tennis parents.
