By Luke Jensen, French Open Doubles Champion
As we move into fall, it’s a great time to regroup and lock into some league fun before the weather gets cold again. I see a ton of mixed doubles leagues going on; it’s a great way to expand your tennis level.
Singles is pretty straight-forward. The ball leaves your opponent’s racquet and you must hit it back. All the options are in your control. In doubles, if the players are somewhat level, the key to victory is communication and finding a balance of who takes the lead role for strategy. Who is going to play the critical role of supporting character on the team — the Robin to Batman role, if you will? Who will be the reliable, steady one that keeps the team solid? The one who allows Batman the playmaker to be more aggressive and make some mistakes, but when hot can dominate a match.
There are times when both players have similar playing styles, but that can cause trouble in certain situations. If you have two steady and consistent players on a team, they often will rely on the opponents to make the errors to win the match. That is a tough team to play, but with no offense it’s hard to finish close games without a knockout punch to your strategy.
If you have two offensive players and the team is hot as a pistol, that’s great but the match can go off the rails quickly if your team gets cold and begins missing shots; there’s no one on the team to steady the ship.
Balance is crucial to finding the perfect combination for any complete doubles team. When I played on the ATP Tour, I played mixed doubles every chance I could. There were always mixed doubles exhibitions and in World Team Tennis, mixed doubles was an important set in that team format. My brother, Murphy, and I are known for winning the 1993 French Open Doubles Championship, but I had more consistent success in my pro career in mixed doubles. I reached the finals of the mixed doubles at the Australian Open and French Open in 1996. And at the US Open, I reached the semis a couple of times with a quarter-final appearance at Wimbledon.
Finding a great partner is always the key. First, you have to make sure you have a combined ranking with your potential WTA partner to get in the draw. The top players, especially on the WTA side, played mixed doubles because singles was only two out of three sets. Legends like Martina Navratilova played all the time. She was always the one you wanted to partner with! Martina won 59 singles, doubles, and mixed grand slam titles.
For me, strategy is what makes mixed doubles so much fun. At the recreational level, you must be able to evaluate the other team quickly. The guy may be able to hit the ball hard, but if it never goes in then that opponent is your “pigeon.” Just because the female players typically don’t hit as hard doesn’t mean they are not the best players on the court. I lost that 1996 French mixed title because my ego was not my amigo. I kept hitting to Argentine human backboard Patricia Tarabini who lobbed and drop shotted me into the red clay at Roland Garros. I was convinced that I could overpower her; to this day, she still laughs at how I fell right into her trap!
The winning formula for a good mixed team is to find a partner who supports your game style. If you are an offensive player, make sure they are OK with you going for shots. Pressure from a partner is never good if you’re looking to win. If you are a steady player, look for someone explosive to help win big matches. Communicate constantly from change overs to between points to make sure you are identifying how you are winning and losing points as a team. Definitely communicate in the biggest moments to strategize on game-winning tactics.
Navratilova was so tough in mixed doubles because she was an extraordinarily good teammate. Team came first, and communication and tactics gave her enormous tennis talent a defining edge. So next time you play, tap into your inner Navratilova.
