Matthew Futterman Interview: On Doubles Popularity, Tennis' Struggle in the US, & Possible Solutions

Matthew Futterman (@MattFutterman) is an award-winning tennis journalist who has worked for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and now, The Athletic. He has authored two books and is working on a third, about tennis, called "The Cruelest Game".

This episode is a little different. You're not going to get doubles strategy out of this one, but you will get some deep insights into the world of pro tennis, why it isn't as popular in the US, and why doubles, specifically, has struggled.

Matt has covered our sport for the better part of the last two decades interviewing singles stars like Novak Djokovic, doubles specialists like Austin Krajicek, and more. We discuss ideas on how tennis might change the format of doubles to make it more appealing. He also explains why Novak Djokovic is such a fascinating player and person.

Matt shares three stories of his that you should read:

• Austin Krajicek Nearly Gave Up on Tennis to Sell Insurance
• Abuse in Tennis
  •  https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/25/sports/tennis/tennis-predatory-coaches.html
  •  https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/23/sports/tennis/usta-coach-sexual-assault.html
  •  https://theathletic.com/4928508/2023/10/05/us-tennis-sexual-abuse-pam-shriver/
• Coco Gauff and the Unknown of Being a Grand Slam Champion

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