Doubles Partnerships That Redefined 2025
In a year of high-stakes volleys and unbreakable bonds, five ATP doubles teams turned pressure into history, from British triumphs to dramatic comebacks across the slams.
The 2025 ATP doubles season unfolded like a high-wire act, where partnerships balanced raw power with unspoken trust amid the roar of packed arenas and the hush of grass courts. ATPTour.com’s annual ‘Best Of’ series lays bare the grit behind the glory, tracing five teams that navigated majors, Masters, and finals with tactical precision and mental steel. Their journeys—from debut synergies to veteran revivals—captured the essence of doubles: two minds anticipating every angle, every shift in momentum.
British duo claims historic summit
Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool entered their first full campaign together carrying the weight of a nation’s expectations, their serves slicing through the air as they built a Tour-leading seven titles. A blistering streak of five consecutive trophies from June to August fueled an unbeaten run of 22 matches, their one–two patterns of deep returns and aggressive poaches overwhelming opponents on hard courts and beyond. That momentum crested at Wimbledon, where they became the first all-British team since 1936 to lift a men’s doubles major, their net volleys echoing across Centre Court in a first Grand Slam for both.
“it’s been one crazy year, that’s for sure. We put an awful lot of work in in the offseason. Couldn’t have done it without everyone there in the box, also my family up there in the corner,” Cash said when collecting the Year-End No. 1 trophy at the Nitto ATP Finals. “We’ve ticked off so many things this year and I think we both truly believed at the start of the year that this was possible for us.”
Their ascent to Year-End ATP Doubles No. 1 honors marked a seismic shift for British tennis, forged in offseason drills that sharpened inside-in forehands and crosscourt lobs. Yet beneath the triumphs lay the quiet strain of syncing rhythms across surfaces, from Wimbledon‘s low bounces to indoor finals tempo. As they hoisted the trophy in Turin, the crowd’s cheers signaled not just victory, but a blueprint for future duos chasing legacy.
Strong opens lead to late surges
Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten scripted a year of bookended brilliance, kicking off with their second major at the Australian Open where hard-court speed amplified their baseline depth and heavy topspin exchanges. The British-Finnish pair’s 50-20 record, including an ATP 500 in Beijing, reflected calculated adaptations—slice returns on clay, down-the-line passes indoors—that propelled them to a first Masters 1000 in Paris. They capped it all at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, their poaching instincts turning tiebreaks into triumphs amid the Palau Alpitour’s electric hum.
“It is hard to describe,” Heliovaara said after winning the Nitto ATP Finals. “The whole week I have looked at the list of winners, with huge winners and I thought, if there was ever going to be my name on that, I am going to be so proud. To be there next to Henry is unreal.”
Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos channeled three prior major final scars into dual redemptions, first grinding out a Roland Garros title over Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski with patient crosscourt rallies on clay. The US Open demanded even more, as they saved three championship points against the same British foes, their inside-out forehands and 1–2 serves flipping desperation into dominance under Flushing Meadows lights. Wins in Bucharest, Madrid, and Basel rounded out a season that secured their sixth straight Nitto ATP Finals berth, their surface shifts—from clay’s slow grind to hard-court aggression—proving unbreakable.
“Honestly, I don’t know what to think right now. It was an amazing battle,” said Zeballos at the US Open trophy ceremony. “When you play these kinds of matches, it is so unfair when there is a winner and a loser, because the guys did everything great. I can’t believe we just won the US Open. It’s so beautiful to be here with all these people watching us.”
For these pairs, the psychological edge sharpened through matchup tweaks, like Heliovaara and Patten’s indoor lobs countering power games, or Granollers and Zeballos’ underspin defenses in extended deuces. The season’s arc tested their bonds, from Australian heat to Parisian clay, each victory a step toward sustaining peak form. As Turin faded, their stories hinted at deeper reserves for the tours ahead.
Sunshine doubles and surprise ascents
Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic delivered a masterclass in consistency, sweeping ATP Masters 1000 titles in Indian Wells, Miami, and Rome to become just the sixth team to claim the Sunshine Double. After a Madrid final stumble to Granollers and Zeballos, they rebounded in Rome by saving a championship point against Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul, their inside-in returns and net volleys avenging the 2024 final loss on Italian clay. This haul earned a return to the Nitto ATP Finals, where their spin variations—from topspin baselines to slice approaches—kept rivals guessing across deserts and red dirt.
“It means a lot, I’m really emotional now,” Arevalo said. “I love this tournament. Since the first time I played here, I had a connection with the city. I’m just really happy that we were able to win this match, because it was a true battle. Mate and I stayed together.”
Christian Harrison and Evan King forged an unlikely partnership from a January Challenger in Quimper, France, exploding onto the scene with ATP 500 titles in Dallas and Acapulco, their all-court game blending flat serves with angled volleys on hard courts. They pushed to Roland Garros semis on clay, using low underspin to disrupt specialists, and added a Brussels trophy while reaching finals in Auckland and Delray Beach. As the first all-American duo at the Nitto ATP Finals since Mike Bryan and Jack Sock‘s 2018 triumph, their rapid rise showcased adaptive footwork and poise under sudden spotlight.
These narratives wove through 2025’s doubles tapestry, from Cash and Glasspool‘s grass-court fortress to Harrison and King’s indoor precision, each duo turning tactical pivots into emotional highs. The season’s intensity—majors’ roars, Masters’ grinds—forged unbreakable units, setting the stage for 2026’s rivalries to ignite anew.
