Tennis Doubles is the form of tennis match in which four players are involved, two in each team, competing against each other to win the match. The matches are played on a court wider than the one used in the singles matches. The doubles alleys or the area between the sidelines and the doubles sidelines, which are not a part of the court in the singles matches, are regarded as legal and are included within the courts. The strategies followed also differ from those used in the singles matches. The main thing needed while playing a doubles game is a good understanding with the partner so that the mutual backing is always there.
The tennis doubles can be played with different formations like the Both-Up Formation , Both-Back Formation or the Up-and-Back Formation . The Up-and-Back formation has a variation which occurs when the players switch their position on the completion of a point. This position is called the Switched Position and is common in Australian doubles . The tennis doubles championships are held along with the singles in most of the competitions. However there are a number of doubles tournaments also. These tournaments are held both for the men as well as the women tennis players. These are organized and governed by the ATP or the Association of Tennis Professionals for the men's and the WTA or the Women's Tennis Association for the women. A few famous doubles players are the pairs of Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge , Bob and Mike Bryans, Leander Paes and Martin Damm .
Tennis Doubles is held in most of the major ATP and WTA tournaments like the Grand Slams and a few other tournaments like the Masters Cup and the Dubai Tennis Championships. The tennis doubles has developed the game a lot and success in this genre is dependent mainly upon the understanding with the partner in the court.
