Carlos Alcaraz was among the top stars who chose not to play in sanctioned ATP doubles tournaments in 2023.
The 20-year-old joined Daniil Medvedev, British rising star Jack Draper, and French veteran Gael Monfils in prioritizing singles competition throughout the season. They were the only players ranked in the world's Top 100 who did not play in ATP doubles events all year.
In the case of Alcaraz, he had two outings at the Hopman Cup, playing mixed doubles together with compatriot Rebeka Masarova. But we might see him play doubles regularly next year, especially in the first half of the season, if he intends to partner Rafael Nadal at the Olympics.
The 20-year-old revealed how special it would be not just for him but also for Spanish tennis to join forces with a man he'd idolized while growing up. And considering that Nadal doesn't have many more years on the tour, Alcaraz will try and get some much-needed momentum in doubles and potentially play with the 37-year-old in Paris.
Monfils, for his part, played a doubles match at the Laver Cup while partnering Hubert Hurkacz for Team Europe. But none of them extended their presence on the ATP events.
This is not a peculiar situation. Top-ranked players have always focused on critical rest and recovery, and being on double duty during a week is physically demanding for their bodies.
In fact, we've seen some of these top names play doubles once or twice a year just to immerse themselves into competition mode after taking an extended break and eventually withdrawing after a round or two.
Novak Djokovic, for instance, did it a couple of times this season. A second reason why this caliber of players doesn't play doubles frequently, or altogether, is due to the compact tennis calendar.
Because every single week between January and November is packed with at least one tournament, it already feels like a lot, and most players even skip important events just so they can preserve their bodies from any physical toil or possible injury.
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