Sock, who previously won Wimbledon in 2014 with Vasek Pospisil, was mired in a season-long slump in singles, though his ranking was still in the Top 20 during those struggles. The young American, who finished 2017 in London at the ATP Finals for the first time, managed to make a return trip there this year in doubles as he and Bryan won the championship.
Over the course of his career, Sock’s doubles play has overshadowed his singles accomplishments as he’s won multiple Masters titles and an Olympics Bronze Medal with Steve Johnson. He’s also shined in mixed doubles, too, winning the US Open and a Gold Medal with Melanie Oudin and Bethanie Mattek-Sands, respectively.
Before she took a break from the game to pursue professional cricket, Barty was in a similar boat. The Australian reached four Grand Slam finals with her countrywoman, the recently retired Casey Dellacqua, then tacked on a fifth one at last year’s French Open as she started her ascent up the singles rankings.
Aside from their US Open triumph, Barty and Vandeweghe also won the Miami Open to add to Barty’s title haul: She won another two titles with Demi Schuurs and took home the top prize in singles twice to join Elise Mertens as the only players, male or female, to finish in the Top 15 in both rankings.
Throughout the course of the game, many of the all-time greats—such as the legendary Australians of the 1950s and ‘60s, Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova, John McEnroe and the Williams sisters—have been dominant in both singles and doubles. Then, as the evolution of the singles game led to a more intense workload, playing in both fields became less of a priority. The advent of the doubles specialist also made it harder for singles players to dip in and effectively compete.
As a more “one-up, one-back” style comes into play, singles players have found room to get in extra matches as opposed to spending more time on the practice court and find success. The traditional notion of whomever holds onto the net will win has been challenged time and again. Some singles players, like John Isner, are finding the benefits of a strong doubles run can help with their mental game as well.
Isner was the only member of the Top 10 on the men’s side to win a doubles title as the American teamed up with Sock to triumph in Indian Wells, their second Masters 1000 crown together. Off to a slow start in singles at the time, Isner carried the momentum from the desert to South Beach as he won the Miami Open, the most prestigious singles title of his career.
The University of Georgia alum would go on to enjoy his best season, finishing at No. 10 in the world and adding to the idea that success can be found in both disciplines.