Daniela Hantuchova, who has a career grand slam in mixed doubles titles, on ‘HOW TO SUCCEED ON THE MIXED DOUBLES COURT’ …
Don’t take it too seriously – the more fun you have on court, the more chance you have of winning matches: ‘I think the reason I’ve had some success in mixed doubles is that I haven’t cared at all whether I’ve won or lost. It can be stressful playing singles, as that’s the competition that I really care about and want to do well in, but then when I’m playing mixed doubles it doesn’t matter so much, and that means I’m going to be more relaxed. That’s when I play well.’
It’s key to choose a doubles partner that you get on with: ‘If you feel relaxed on the court with them, you will have more success.’
For me it’s important that the man doesn’t smash the ball as hard as he can at the girl: ‘I know what that’s like, and it’s not nice. I don’t like it if a partner hits the ball hard at the girl. In fact, there have been a couple of times in my career that I’ve got pretty pissed when my partner has done that. I don’t want to play with someone who thinks that’s a good way of playing. Mixed doubles is meant to be fun.’
Sania Mirza, who has won grand slam mixed doubles titles, on ‘HOW TO PLAY MIXED DOUBLES AS A WOMAN’ …
Prepare to be under attack throughout the match: ‘Doubles teams are always going to attack the weaker of the two opponents, so in mixed doubles that probably means that the girl is going to be under attack most of the time. So if the girl can deal with that, it’s more than likely that her team will win. Whether a team wins or loses, that’s usually up to how the girl plays, and not how the man plays.’
Don’t be scared of getting hurt if the man hits the ball at you at full pace: ‘At the pro level, there’s a slam on the line, and the men certainly aren’t going to take any pace off the ball and give you a softer shot. And, at an amateur level, maybe men are going to be just as competitive. And, anyway, it’s not as if women hit the ball softly these days – your female opponent will also be hitting hard at you.’
John Lloyd, who won three grand slam mixed doubles titles, on ‘HOW TO BEHAVE ON THE MIXED DOUBLES COURT’ …
Don’t play with your spouse: ‘I really wouldn’t advise anyone to play mixed doubles with their spouse, especially if both of you are competitive. I played a few matches with Chris [Evert, his former wife] – exhibitions and money matches – and it wasn’t always easy. I think it’s best, if you have a choice, to play with someone you’re not emotionally involved with. If you play with your spouse, there’s a danger that you’re going to bring whatever’s happening off the court on to it, and you’re going to have a lot of baggage. If the match doesn’t go your way, that’s going to cause problems too.’
At an amateur level, don’t blast the ball at your female opponent: ‘It’s different at a professional level now. The men aren’t afraid of hitting the ball straight at the women. And the women aren’t afraid of the men – as they’re strong and great athletes. I think that’s fine at a professional level, but not if you’re playing at your local club. I wouldn’t feel comfortable about going head-hunting and smacking any short ball straight at the woman.’
Jamie Murray, a former Wimbledon mixed doubles champion, on ‘HOW TO PLAY MIXED DOUBLES AS A MAN’ …
At a professional level, the man should hit the ball as hard at the woman as he does at the man: ‘That seems sexist and wrong, but if you’re taking this seriously, then that’s the way you should do it. As a professional, you can make good money playing mixed doubles, so it’s a cut-throat world.’
When serving to your female opponent, a spinning serve often works better than one hit at full power: ‘I find that girls don’t deal with the spin so well. They’re more likely to return a hard serve which comes straight at them.’
Choose a partner who can hit big from the baseline, rather than a woman who likes to serve and volley: ‘If your female partner is serve and volleying, it’s easier for the man on the other side of the net to pick off the ball. I would rather have a partner who hits big from the baseline, someone who hits it hard enough to pass the guy at the net. If your male opponent is at the net he can intimidate and take control, and that’s going to make it difficult. So if your partner can hold her own from the baseline and hit hard down the lines, and the guy doesn’t know what’s coming, that’s ideal.’
Your partner will usually expect you to take the lead: ‘If they do, make sure that you keep things simple so you both know what’s expected of you.’
The more relaxed you feel, the better you will play: ‘You’re not always that intense playing mixed doubles. I always feel a bit more laid back playing mixed doubles than men’s doubles, and play well for that reason.’
You don’t have to flirt with your partner to be successful: ‘However, it’s important to keep your partner relaxed and enjoying it, as you’re more likely to get better performances from them (although that’s the same in men’s doubles as well). There’s a real skill to that, especially in professional tennis, as you won’t play mixed doubles much – probably just four times a year at the grand slams and that’s it. When I won Wimbledon in 2007 with Jelena Jankovic, we were enjoying it.’
