Top ranked doubles player Nicolas Mahut has noted that in the year 2016, he has earned more money from his doubles performances than from his singles play, despite finishing inside the Top 40 in singles this season.
Speaking to L’equipe, the French veteran said: ”We see that I earn more (money) by being the number one in doubles, than by being in the top 40 in singles,”.
Mahut finished the year as the No.1 ranked doubles player, playing with French partner Pierre-Hugues Herbert. The team captured the Wimbledon title, three Masters 1000s, and the Queens title in London.
Many veteran players of the singles tour find that they perform well in doubles, as the smaller amount of court that is required to be covered, due to the presence of a teammate often allows players to extend their careers. The likes of Ivan Dodig, Simone Bolelli, and Fabio Fognini have all taken to the doubles court consistently in recent years. Max Mirnyi, once ranked inside the Top 20 in singles, abandoned singles in favour of an exclusive doubles game since 2008.
Mahut earned more than a million dollars in prize money from playing doubles, and under seven hundred thousand for his singles efforts, including a semi-final run in Rotterdam, and a fourth round run at Wimbledon.
Despite his Top 40 ranking, Mahut’s singles points have largely come from occasional examples of success at big events such as Wimbledon and other grass or indoor events. He often struggles to go deeper in clay or outdoor hard events, surfaces that account for most events on the singles calendar. This could go some way to explaining his earning differences in singles and doubles, as he and Herbert often reach the quarter-finals or better in many events.
