Heliovaara and Patten Break Through in Doha
Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten finally cracked the code against Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool, clinching the Qatar ExxonMobil Open title with poise that signals a shifting doubles landscape.
In the thick evening heat of Doha, Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten walked onto center court carrying the weight of four straight losses to their rivals. The third seeds faced Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool, the top-seeded defending champions whose aggressive net game had defined their head-to-head dominance. But on Friday, Heliovaara and Patten delivered a clinical 6-3, 6-3 takedown in 69 minutes, wrapping up an unblemished run to the ATP 500 crown and tilting a rivalry that once felt one-sided.
This win capped their second title of 2026, after Adelaide, making them the second team with multiple trophies this season alongside Theo Arribage and Albano Olivetti‘s successes in Montpellier and Dallas. Heliovaara’s serve-volley rushes kept the Brits scrambling, while Patten’s deep returns forced errors on crosscourt attempts. The crowd, a blend of locals and expats, sensed the momentum swing early, their cheers rising with each held service game.
“We finished the end of 2025 really strong and just to keep that form in 2026, it’s been a dream six months for us,” said Heliovaara, who won his maiden Nitto ATP Finals trophy with Patten in November. “With Henry, it’s always lovely to play. I had my family here in Doha this week — my wife and two kids — so it’s always special to travel with them.”
Shattering a stubborn rivalry
Down 0-4 entering the year, Heliovaara and Patten had clawed back ground with an upset in the ATP Masters 1000 final in Paris last October, narrowing the ATP Head2Head to 1-4 before Doha evened it at 2-4. Cash and Glasspool pushed with their familiar one–two patterns, Glasspool’s booming serves setting up Cash’s inside-in forehands. Yet the Finn and the Brit adjusted on the medium-paced hardcourt, using slice approaches to draw volleys wide and expose gaps down-the-line.
They saved all seven break points, a feat that highlighted their growing mental edge over the pair that had once dismantled them routinely. Patten’s low backhand slices skidded off the surface, disrupting the Brits’ rhythm and turning defense into quick counters. As the first set slipped away from the top seeds, the air thickened with tension, the duo’s composure a stark contrast to past frustrations.
Family fuel and tactical poise
Heliovaara’s family in the stands added an intimate layer to the victory, their presence turning the Qatar ExxonMobil Open into more than a professional milestone. Patten thrived in the partnership’s refined dynamic, his net poaching syncing perfectly with Heliovaara’s baseline depth to neutralize aggressive returns. The 69-minute affair stayed crisp under the lights, their footwork avoiding the lapses that had cost them indoors before.
This Doha run builds on their late-2025 surge, where consistency replaced inconsistency against top pairs. By varying pace—mixing heavy topspin with underspin—they kept Cash and Glasspool guessing, converting breaks with precision on inside-out winners. The emotional release at match point echoed through the stadium, a pivot from underdogs chasing parity.
Rising ranks eye bigger stages
The title propels Heliovaara and Patten eight places to No. 5 in the PIF ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings, setting them up for deeper pushes in the hardcourt swing ahead. Their adaptability across surfaces, honed through these clashes, promises tension in future rematches with Cash and Glasspool. As 2026 unfolds, this breakthrough offers a foundation: trust the adjustments, draw strength from the partnership, and let the wins stack toward year-end glory.
