Hanlon Walsh ·
The 2023 ATP doubles season ushered in a new era of top teams with a few of the household names from the last few years still primarily leading the pack. Despite having some of the same top contenders, overall, the field continued to experience parity with four different teams winning majors in 2023:
- Rinky Hijikata & Jason Kubler (Australian Open)
- Ivan Dodig & Austin Krajicek (Roland Garros)
- Neal Skupski & Wesley Koolhof (Wimbledon)
- Rajeev Ram & Joe Salisbury (U.S. Open)
The top eight teams who qualified for Turin represent a mix of both veterans and newcomers ranging from ages 22 (Rinky Hijikata) to 43 (Rohan Bopanna). Interestingly enough, Hijikata is the only ATP doubles finalist in his twenties.
Among the field, four of eight teams who qualified in 2022 make their return to Turin in 2023:
- No. 1 Ivan Dodig & Austin Krajicek
- No. 2 Wesley Koolhof & Neal Skupski
- No. 5 Marcel Granollers & Horacio Zeballos
- No. 6 Rajeev Ram & Joe Salisbury
Leading the field are top seeds Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek, the Croatian-American duo who capped off a second successful season together by claiming the 2023 French Open title. Krajicek, the reigning world No. 1 ATP doubles player, achieved the No. 1 doubles ranking for the first time in his career earlier this season.
Related Podcast
Austin Krajicek Interview: The new ATP doubles world No. 1 talks about winning his first major at Roland Garros and shares doubles strategy knowledge.
In their fifth consecutive ATP Finals appearance together, defending champions Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury are the most accomplished team in the field with four doubles majors. They head into Turin riding a late-season surge that included the 2023 U.S. Open title, where they became the first ATP doubles team in the Open Era to win the U.S. Open three consecutive years.
While several teams will be making their first appearance together, many individual players have made multiple ATP Finals appearances throughout their careers. Ivan Dodig has qualified for nine of the last 11 ATP Finals since 2012 with four different partners. Additionally, Marcel Granollers, a 2012 ATP Finals champion, is making his eighth ATP Finals Appearance in the last 12 years.
Before the action kicks off in Turin, here’s a breakdown of all eight teams:
- No. 1 Ivan Dodig & Austin Krajicek
- No. 2 Wesley Koolhof & Neal Skupski
- No. 3 Rohan Bopanna & Matt Ebden
- No. 4 Santiago Gonzalez & Edouard Roger-Vasselin
- No. 5 Marcel Granollers & Horacio Zeballos
- No. 6 Rajeev Ram & Joe Salisbury
- No. 7 Maximo Gonzalez & Andres Molteni
- No. 8 Rinky Hijikata & Jason Kubler (Australian Open winners)
- Alternates: Nate Lammons & Jackson Withrow
No. 1 Ivan Dodig & Austin Krajicek
Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek teamed up at the start of the 2022 clay season and have since won eight ATP doubles titles together, including their first major as a duo at Roland Garros this past year.
A lefty/righty combo, Dodig and Krajicek have evolved into one of the most consistent teams on tour over the last 18 months. They get to the net often, apply pressure to finish the point, and frequently force errors.
Krajicek is a natural athlete and great defender. Meanwhile, Dodig has been a consistent fixture at the top of the men’s doubles game for the last decade. He has now qualified for 9 of the last 11 ATP Finals with four different partners dating back to his first appearance in 2012. Krajicek, age 33, is newer to doubles stardom, winning 8 of his 12 career titles with Dodig over the last two years.
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Philip Farmer Interview: Former coach of the Bryan Brothers talks about his coaching career and current experience coaching World No. 1 Austin Krajicek.
Krajicek will continue leaning on Dodig’s vast experience as he makes his 2nd ATP Finals performance this year. Despite having qualified nine times, Dodig is still looking for his first ATP Finals title. His best previous result came in 2016 as runner-up.
- Partnership History: Teamed up during the 2022 clay season
- 2023 Team Record: 37-13 (74%)
- 2023 Titles/Finals: 5 titles (Rotterdam, ATP Masters 1000 Monte Carlo, Roland Garros, London/Queen’s, and ATP Masters 1000 Beijing) and 2 finals (Adelaide 2 and Eastbourne); Krajicek also finished runner-up at the Miami Open alongside Nicolas Mahut
- Season Highlights: Dodig and Krajicek were the best team in 2023, achieved the world No. 1 ranking for the first time, and captured 5 titles on all four surfaces: outdoor hard, outdoor clay, outdoor grass, and indoor hard.
- ATP Finals Group: Green Group
- 2023 H2H vs. Field: 7-3 (70%)
- Koolhof & Skupski: 2-0
- Bopanna & Ebden: 1-0
- Gonzalez & Roger-Vasselin: 3-0
- Granollers & Zeballos: 1-0
- Ram & Salisbury: 0-2
- Gonzalez & Molteni: 0-1
- Hijikata & Kubler: 0-0
No. 2 Wesley Koolhof & Neal Skupski
After a stellar debut season in 2022, the 2023 Wimbledon champions will be coming into Turin yet again as one of the top teams to beat. Their high energy, natural athleticism, and strong doubles IQ make them an incredibly fun team to watch (and learn from). Both players are excellent returners with a strong offensive and defensive game, and very few weaknesses to target.
Before last season, Koolhof’s only previous appearance at the ATP Finals was a successful venture, winning the 2020 trophy with Nikola Mektic. Skupski will make his 2nd ATP Finals appearance alongside Koolhof as the No. 2 seeds in Turin.
Spoiler alert: the duo announced they won’t be playing together next season. Koolhof will return with former partner, Nikola Mektic, and Skupski has yet to announce a new partner for 2024.
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Rob Morgan Interview: Veteran doubles coach discusses his experience coaching Wes Koolhof and offers doubles strategy insight.
- Partnership History: Teamed up at the beginning of the 2022 season
- 2023 Team Record: 44-20 (69%)
- 2023 Titles/Finals: 2 titles (Wimbledon and ‘s-Hertogenbosch) and 3 finals (ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells, Barcelona, ATP Masters 1000 Beijing)
- Season Highlights: After winning 7 titles together in 2022 that didn’t include a major, Koolhof and Skupski got the grand slam monkey off their back in 2023 by winning their first major title together at Wimbledon with a comprehensive 6-4, 6-4 win over Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos. Even more special that it came on home soil for Skupski.
- ATP Finals Group: Red Group
- 2023 H2H vs. Field: 8-9 (47%)
- Dodig & Krajicek: 0-2
- Bopanna & Ebden: 3-2
- Gonzalez & Roger-Vasselin: 2-2
- Granollers & Zeballos: 1-1
- Ram & Salisbury: 0-0
- Gonzalez & Molteni: 0-1
- Hijikata & Kubler: 2-1
No. 3 Rohan Bopanna & Matt Ebden
The Indian-Australian duo were the hottest new team of 2023, winning two titles, and achieving five runner-up finishes in the year. At age 43, Rohan Bopanna made history this year by becoming the oldest grand slam finalist when he and Ebden advanced to the U.S. Open championship match.
— Olly 🎾🇬🇧 (@Olly_Tennis_) September 7, 2023By making the US Open Men’s Doubles final, Rohan Bopanna AGED 43, is the oldest man EVER to make a Major final.
What an achievement! 👏 pic.twitter.com/103XSJcpPh
After hanging up his singles career to fully focus on doubles, Ebden has established himself as one of the top doubles players in today’s game. In 2022, he and fellow Aussie Max Purcell won the Wimbledon title in an epic five-set comeback performance. Despite winning Wimbledon, Ebden makes his debut ATP Finals appearance in 2023 since Wimbledon ranking parts were not awarded last year. Bopanna makes his 4th ATP Finals appearance and first since 2015.
- Partnership History: New partnership at the beginning of 2023
- 2023 Team Record: 38-18 (68%)
- 2023 Titles/Finals: 2 titles (Doha, ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells) and 5 finals (Rotterdam, ATP Masters 1000 Madrid Open, U.S. Open, ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai, ATP 1000 Paris Masters)
- Season Highlights: Bopanna and Ebden advanced to their first major final as a duo at the 2023 U.S. Open, but ultimately came up short against Ram/Salisbury in a tough three-set battle. Bopanna nearly matched his career-high ranking from 10 years ago, at No. 3, when he climbed up to No. 5 in the ATP doubles rankings last month.
- ATP Finals Group: Red Group
- 2023 H2H vs. Field: 6-7 (46%)
- Dodig & Krajicek: 0-1
- Koolhof & Skupski: 3-2
- Gonzalez & Roger-Vasselin: 2-1
- Granollers & Zeballos: 1-2
- Ram & Salisbury: 0-1
- Gonzalez & Molteni: 0-0
- Hijikata & Kubler: 0-0
No. 4 Santiago Gonzalez & Edouard Roger-Vasselin
Gonzalez and Roger-Vasselin are yet another veteran team who reached new heights in 2023 at the latter stages of their careers. Forty-year-old Gonzalez makes his ATP Finals debut after a career-best season when he and Roger-Vasselin joined forces at the beginning of the year.
A consummate doubles veteran, Gonzalez has won at least one ATP Tour title in 12 of the last 14 years. Roger-Vasselin, a 2014 Roland Garros champion, is a former Top 30 singles player who has been a doubles stalwart over the last decade since retiring from singles in 2014. Roger-Vasselin has won at least one doubles title every year for the last 12 years and makes his 2nd ATP Finals appearance this year.
- Partnership History: Played together a few times in 2022 but officially teamed up at the beginning of the 2023 season
- 2023 Team Record: 51-21 (71%)
- 2023 Titles/Finals: 5 titles (Marseille, ATP Masters 1000 Miami, Los Cabos, Basel, ATP Masters 1000 Paris)
- Season Highlights: Gonzalez won the first pair of ATP Masters 1000 titles in his 20+ year career this season on the hardcourts in Miami and Paris indoors. After the team’s Paris title, he cracked the top 10 with a career-high ranking of No. 9.
- ATP Finals Group: Green Group
- 2023 H2H vs. Field: 7-7 (50%)
- Dodig & Krajicek: 0-3
- Koolhof & Skupski: 2-2
- Bopanna & Ebden: 1-2
- Granollers & Zeballos: 2-0
- Ram & Salisbury: 2-0
- Gonzalez & Molteni: 0-0
- Hijikata & Kubler: 0-0
No. 5 Marcel Granollers & Horacio Zeballos
This lefty-righty duo is one of the most consistent performers and exciting teams to watch among the Turin field. Granollers enters his 8th ATP Finals appearance this year with his 3rd different partner. In 2012, he won the event with fellow Spaniard Marc Lopez.
Over the next few years, he qualified again in 2013 and 2014 with Lopez and again in 2017 with Ivan Dodig. Granollers and Zeballos have qualified together four consecutive years from 2020-2022, joining Ram/Salisbury as the only other team in the field to make the ATP Finals four years in a row.
- Partnership History: They have played together consistently over the last 4-5 years
- 2023 Team Record: 34-17 (67%)
- 2023 Titles/Finals: 1 title (ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai) and 2 finals (Wimbledon, Geneva)
- Season Highlights: Granollers and Zeballos are an incredibly consistent duo on tour, especially at the majors. In 2023, they advanced to the semi-finals of the Australian Open and Roland Garros before earning a runner-up performance on the grass at Wimbledon.
- ATP Finals Group: Green Group
- 2023 H2H vs. Field: 4-6 (40%)
- Dodig & Krajicek: 0-1
- Koolhof & Skupski: 1-1
- Bopanna & Ebden: 2-1
- Gonzalez & Roger-Vasselin: 0-2
- Ram & Salisbury: 1-0
- Gonzalez & Molteni: 0-0
- Hijikata & Kubler: 0-1
No. 6 Rajeev Ram & Joe Salisbury
In their fifth consecutive ATP Finals appearance, Ram and Salisbury are the most accomplished team in the field with four majors and 12 career titles together. The 2022 Turin defending champions nearly missed qualifying this year before they turned their disappointing season around with a surprise run to the U.S. Open title.
Both former NCAA collegiate standouts at Indiana and Memphis, respectively, their college roots help them thrive in a competitive team environment on the doubles court. Sometimes nicknamed as “Rampras”, a nod to how his serve resembles the legendary Pete Sampras, Ram has one of the best serves in the men’s doubles game with the ability to place it just about anywhere.
Salisbury is one of the best athletes on the men’s doubles tour and moves incredibly well. His defensive ability earns them a few extra points each set that many other teams don’t get as often.
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Dave O’Hare Interview: Dave talks about his tennis journey and takes us behind the scenes on what it’s like coaching Rajeev Ram & Joe Salisbury.
- Partnership History: They’ve played together for the last five seasons since the start of 2019.
- 2023 Team Record: 32-18 (64%)
- 2023 Titles/Finals: 3 titles (Lyon, U.S. Open, Vienna)
- Season Highlights: Ram and Salisbury became the first ATP doubles team in the Open Era to win three consecutive major titles when they achieved the U.S. Open three-peat from 2020-2022.
- ATP Finals Group: Red Group
- 2023 H2H vs. Field: 5-4 (55%)
- Dodig & Krajicek: 2-0
- Koolhof & Skupski: 0-0
- Bopanna & Ebden: 1-0
- Gonzalez & Roger-Vasselin: 0-2
- Granollers & Zeballos: 0-1
- Gonzalez & Molteni: 2-2
- Hijikata & Kubler: 0-0
No. 7 Maximo Gonzalez & Andres Molteni
Gonzalez, 40, and Molteni, 35, both make their ATP Finals debut this year in Turin after being yet another ATP doubles team who enjoyed a breakout year together in 2023. The All-Argentine pair won a career-best five titles in 2023 with two distinct peaks during the South American clay swing and the North American hardcourt summer swing.
Gonzalez has won 17 ATP Tour titles with nine different partners and cracked the top 10 for the first time in his career back in September. Molteni, on the other hand, has won 16 ATP doubles titles with six different partners. He reached his career-high ranking of No. 7 earlier this summer after winning the ATP Masters 1000 title at the Cincinnati Open.
- 2023 Team Record: 38-20 (66%)
- 2023 Titles/Finals: 5 titles (Cordoba, Rio de Janeiro, Barcelona, Washington D.C., Cincinnati)
- Season Highlights: The Argentine pair posted an impressive 5-0 record in doubles finals this year on three continents (Europe, North America, South America) and two surfaces (outdoor clay and outdoor hard).
- ATP Finals Group: Green Group
- 2023 H2H vs. Field: 4-2 (67%)
- Dodig & Krajicek: 1-0
- Koolhof & Skupski: 1-0
- Bopanna & Ebden: 0-0
- Gonzalez & Roger-Vasselin: 0-0
- Granollers & Zeballos: 0-0
- Ram & Salisbury: 2-2
- Hijikata & Kubler: 0-0
No. 8 Rinky Hijikata & Jason Kubler
Both top 100 singles players who prioritize singles over doubles, Hijikata and Kubler represent the newcomers and outliers of the Turin doubles field. To the delight of the home crowd in Melbourne, the Aussie pair enjoyed a surprise Cinderella story run to the Australian Open title in January.
— Gaspar Ribeiro Lança (@gasparlanca) January 28, 2023Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi!
Wild cards Rinky Hijikata/Jason Kubler complete a dream fortnight in Melbourne by defeating Hugo Nys/Jan Zielinski 6-4, 7-6(4) to win the Australian Open men's doubles title!
Back-to-back titles for wild card Aussie duos! pic.twitter.com/3STbNjej0b
With the championship, they became the second consecutive All-Aussie wildcard team to capture the title in Melbourne. Following their incredible performance in Melbourne, the rest of their doubles season as a team was a bit lackluster, partially due to an injury from Kubler. They only played in seven more tournaments together with a 3-6 record.
- 2023 Team Record: 9-6 (60%)
- 2023 Titles/Finals: 1 title (Australian Open); Hijikata also won in Tokyo with fellow Aussie, Max Purcell
- Season Highlights: Hijikata and Kubler were a wildcard doubles pairing in Melbourne who went 6-0 to win the Australian Open title on home soil. En route, they knocked off four-seeded teams and electrified the Aussie crowd in every match.
- ATP Finals Group: Red Group
- 2023 H2H vs. Field: 2-2 (50%)
- Dodig & Krajicek: 0-0
- Koolhof & Skupski: 1-2
- Bopanna & Ebden: 0-0
- Gonzalez & Roger-Vasselin: 0-0
- Granollers & Zeballos: 1-0
- Ram & Salisbury: 0-0
- Gonzalez & Molteni: 0-0
— Hanlon Walsh (@HanlonWalsh) November 13, 2023For such a solid year in doubles, tough finish for Nate Lammons & Jackson Withrow to barely miss the cutoff for Turin. They finished 8th in the ATP race but were bumped by Hijikata/Kubler (17th) who qualified automatically by winning AO.
Do we like this rule or not? pic.twitter.com/i7UMkd46kS
