The PopSock band is back together. Vasek Pospisil and Jack Sock, who took the doubles world by storm from 2014 to 2016, are teaming up for next month’s Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells and Miami.
They won Wimbledon in 2014 as an unseeded duo, reached two Indian Wells finals (including the title in 2015), lifted the Beijing trophy also in 2015, and reached four other Masters 1000 finals. A split in 2016 was due mostly to Pospisil’s drop in the singles rankings, forcing him to play a different schedule.
Although the Canadian and American are not ranked high enough for automatic entry, they will obviously get wild cards in Indian Wells, Miami, and likely at any other tournament they desire.
The Pospisil-Sock comeback is hardly the only news from this week’s release of the Indian Wells doubles entry list. As always, this event more than any other brings out the stars to the doubles court. Rafael Nadal has signed up with Marc Lopez, while Novak Djokovic and Viktor Troicki are throwing their hat into the ring.
Indian Wells doubles entry list
MAIN DRAW:
Cabal/Farah
Ram/Salisbury
Kubot/Melo
Dodig/Polasek
Granollers/Zeballos
Herbert/Mahut
Wawrinka/A.Zverev
Goffin/Schwartzman
Krawietz/Mies
Dimitrov/Thiem
Auger-Aliassime/Fognini
Khachanov/Rublev
Klaasen/Marach
Bautista Agut/de Minaur
Koolhof/Mektic
Pavic/Soares
Rojer/Tecau
Carreno Busta/Garin
Peers/Venus
Mannarino/Monfils
Hurkacz/Paire
Melzer/Roger-Vasselin
Bryan/Bryan
ALTERNATES:
Bopanna/Shapovalov
J.Murray/N.Skupski
Chardy/Martin
Demoliner/Medvedev
Krajinovic/Lajovic
Evans/Kyrgios
Isner/Querrey
Raonic/Skugor
Kontinen/Struff
Cuevas/Tsitsipas
S.Gonzalez/Pella
Pospisil/Sock
Bambridge/McLachlan
popcorn
Rafa and Marc playing doubles together again! Never say never again. 🙂 I swear I’d rather see them take the doubles title than Rafa win the singles there! (Not that I think either will happen but I can still dream, right?)
Such epic/entertaining pairings. Too bad they might not all get in. More of this throughout the year would be welcomed.
The big guns won’t sign up for doubles for most tournaments. IW has a more relaxed singles schedule at the front end than most. Even so Rafa hasn’t played doubles in an ATP event for 2 years. I’m guessing the Olympics plus the new DC format and the ATP Cup has made doubles more interesting for the big guns.
Rafa has explained several times that he uses doubles to improve his singles game.
Rafa in Sept. 2017: “I play a few tournaments when it comes to doubles, only when I think it will help me in singles. Normally I play at the beginning of the season or in a specific tournament.”
http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/nadal-feature-2017-lunes
He asks the tournament officials to schedule his first doubles match before his first singles match.
Rafa in Oct.2016: “It’s obvious having a doubles match before the singles starts is a positive thing. That’s why I asked to play [doubles] before [his singles match].”
http://www.chinaopen.com.cn/2016-10-04/docen-ifxwkzyh4211145.shtml
The Rafa & Marc Lopez duo has won the IW title twice (2010 & 2012).
monse (a Rafa fan): “…I asked and he [Marc Lopez] said he won’t play Olympics with Rafa tho, just IW:”
https://twitter.com/coachdal/status/1233446688636846080