Ask a coach: Competing with a new doubles partner

Brandi Bratek is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) and has been working in the fields of sport and performance psychology for over 25 years. Bratek has worked with Olympic medalists, WTA tour players, nationally ranked juniors, athletes just beginning to compete and parents supporting their children’s competitive endeavors. On the tennis court, she and her husband Wojtek Bratek are two-time, ITF, World Championship Mixed Doubles 45’s gold medalists.

Read on for more from Bratek on finding and adjusting to doubles partners.

USTA Texas: What are your initial thoughts about registering as an unpaired player in a doubles tournament? 

Bratek: It can work, but you have to be prepared. There might be a learning curve to playing well together. This year at the US Open, Kristina Mladenovic and Zhang Shuai entered the US Open having never played together, and they made it all the way to the finals, so clearly it can work! In juniors, it becomes an issue of the additional time it takes to play doubles at a tournament and whether that is in the best interest of the player and the parent. In the L1s, what is nice is that while playing in the main draw, you generally only have one singles and one doubles match a day. This makes playing doubles more manageable. In most L2-L6 tournaments, assuming players win, they are forced to often compete in four matches a day when playing doubles. Many times, these matches don't even start until 7:00 pm after the player would have started their day playing singles at 8 a.m. and waking up at 6 a.m.  This is a huge time commitment for the athlete and their parents and also makes for a very long weekend of tennis. It is also a financial decision since doubles entries are often the exact cost as singles entries.

Before signing up with a stranger, I would ask the athlete to consider if they are mentally prepared to spend that much time on the court. If the answer is yes, then I would also want to know if they are aware that playing the extra doubles matches could impact their ability to be physically and mentally fit for singles the following day. If the answer is still yes, they are prepared, then it becomes a question of whether they are prepared to spend those additional hours on court with someone they have not met. This question is more challenging and very much depends on the athlete's personality. If someone is timid, playing with a stranger is a nightmare. The most successful doubles teams are, at a minimum, at least acquainted with one another. If a junior wants to play doubles, I suggest they work to cultivate relationships with a few different juniors who travel a similar circuit of tournaments. The goal would be to attempt to connect with them semi-regularly at various tournaments. This can get tricky for both athlete and parent to navigate before the start of a tournament like the Texas Slam. For example, everyone is vying to have the best partner to have the best chance to win. Hopefully, with adequate planning and good communication, everyone can walk away remaining friendly.

USTA Texas: In your opinion, what might make someone anxious about playing with someone new in a competitive space?

Bratek: Most junior players I work with experience less anxiety while playing doubles. This is usually because they feel like the responsibility is shared. It feels easier to make a mistake because you know your partner will make one, too. It also helps to have someone to talk to, unlike playing singles, where it is just you and your brain competing. Players who experience anxiety when playing doubles usually do so because they believe they are letting someone down when they miss. A partner can help with this by telling their partner, "It's okay" or "Right idea," because they want that same treatment when they make a mistake. Interestingly enough, adults who play league doubles could benefit from watching many of the junior teams out there regarding this! 

USTA Texas: How can people overcome the anxiety and manage the stress of playing a competitive match with a brand new partner?

Bratek: Taking action is the key to overcoming anxiety. If you feel nervous about returning or having to serve, tell your partner! Talk to them about it instead of trying to wish it away or telling yourself to stop thinking about it, which doesn't work. Doing that will only amplify the feeling of anxiety. Feeling like you can't return crosscourt against a player's serve and you are worried about getting your partner killed, tell them you have that doubt and ask them to move back for the return. You know you are super nervous before serving and are afraid your opponent will smack the ball at your partner at the net. Tell them to move back to the baseline on your serve! The beauty of doubles is that you have another player to brainstorm with so use them between every point and changeover.

USTA Texas: What are good highlights for new partners to discuss up front as they prepare to go on-court to play their first match?

Bratek: I encourage partners to talk about what their strengths are on the doubles court (i.e., "I like to lob down the line, which can set you up for an overhead" or "If I get a forehand return on the ad side, I like to go down the line with it so stand closer to the middle when I return.") I also encourage them to share what shots they can't play (i.e., "Returning on the deuce side, it is tough for me to return my backhand crosscourt to the server. I often hit it down the line so watch out for that.”) These exchanges should occur before the match, but partners should also remind each other of these things as these situations arise in the match.

USTA Texas: Share some positive communication tips for new partners to sustain throughout a match.

Bratek: In addition to what I already mentioned, the biggest one is to connect in some way, shape, or form after every point. This can be with words of encouragement, fist bumps, smiles, or creating a plan for the next point. One of the best doubles coaches in the world, Louis Cayer, will not even give one piece of feedback to the teams he works with unless the teams speak with each other after every point and have good energy with each other for the entire match. Until his teams do those things right, he will not discuss tactics or anything technical which should relay to juniors how important this is to performing well as a team.

USTA Texas: How can new players avoid the blame game in doubles?

Bratek: Everyone misses. Focusing on who missed doesn't help anyone win the next point. If I work with players who like to point fingers at what their partner did or didn't do, I always force them to consider how they contributed by saying nothing or saying the wrong thing before or after the point. If your partner keeps missing shots, I assure you there is something you could be saying or a different strategy you both could be trying in the points to help them make more shots.

USTA Texas: What tactical strategies do you urge players to implement early on with their new partners?

Bratek: The simplest is to communicate what you are trying to do at the start of the point. If you are serving, tell your net partner where you plan on trying to serve your first and second serve. If your partner is serving, tell them if you plan on poaching. If you are returning, tell your partner what you plan on doing with the ball if it comes to your forehand vs. your backhand, so they know what to expect.

USTA Texas: What do people stand to gain signing up for a tournament without a partner and playing competitively with someone they’ve just met?

Bratek: Putting yourself in that situation is uncomfortable. The wonderful thing about putting yourself in uncomfortable circumstances is that it gets easier to do the second time. It also makes it more likely you can handle other difficult situations better than you would have before. Growth never happens without discomfort. Growth can always happen if you reflect on what you could have done better or differently afterward.

“Unexpected variables like getting paired with an unknown partner can be scary, but also valuable experience as players develop their tennis games.”

USTA Texas: Have you ever personally signed up for a tournament unpaired?

Bratek: I honestly can't recall ever signing up in a tournament without a partner I didn't at least know. I did sign up to play the national 45s and 40s doubles tournaments this year with someone I had never played a match with. We knew each other, respected each other, and had knowledge of how we both played, but we had never played together. We got a bronze ball in the first and then a gold ball in the second, so I guess we did alright! My biggest takeaway is that the more you play with someone, the easier and more fun it gets.

For more information about Brandi Bratek, visit: https://www.brandibratek.com/