Tennis at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Men's doubles

The men's doubles tennis event at the 2020 Summer Olympics is scheduled to take place from 24 to 30 July 2021 at the Ariake Coliseum.[1] There will be 64 players from approximately 25 nations.[2]

Men's doubles
Tennis at the 2020 Summer Olympics

Men's doubles at the Games of the XXXII Olympiad
Olympic tennis pictogram
Venue	Ariake Coliseum
Dates	24–30 July 2021
Competitors	32 pairs (64 players) from ~25 nations

Background

This will be the 16th (medal) appearance of the men's doubles tennis event. The event has been held at every Summer Olympics where tennis has been on the program: from 1896 to 1924 and then from 1988 to the current program. A demonstration event was held in 1968.

Qualification

Each National Olympic Committee (NOC) can enter up to two pairs (four players). The total number of male players, in both singles and doubles, for each nation may not exceed six. There are 32 pairs places (64 players) in the event. Qualification is based primarily on the ranking lists of 7 June 2021.[2]

Up to 10 pairs are selected through individual doubles ranking. The top 10 players in the doubles ranking qualify and may bring any partner with a ranking in the top 300 in either singles or doubles.[2]

The draw is then filled to 24 pairs (that is, at least 14 additional pairs and possibly more depending on how the top 10 use their spots) through combined ranking. The better of a player's singles or doubles ranking is used, and the two rankings of a pair of players are added to give a combined ranking, with the lowest rankings earning qualifying spots.[2]

If the quota of 86 total male players in singles and doubles has not been reached, the combined ranking continues until either the 86 total quota places are filled or the 32 pair maximum is reached.[2]

Once the 86 player quota is met, priority is given to pairs with both members playing in singles (with combined ranking used to select within that group). In the unlikely event that this does not finish filling the 32 pairs, additional spots will be qualified with priority given to pairs with one member playing in singles; finally, if the 32 pair spots still are not filled, the combined ranking of pairs without any singles players is used.[2]

Competition format

The competition is a single-elimination tournament with a bronze medal match. Matches are best-of-3 sets, except that the third set is a match tiebreak (first to 10 points) instead of a typical set.[3][4][5] A tiebreak is played if one of the first two sets reaches 6–6.

Schedule

The competition is held over seven days, Saturday 24 July to Friday 30 August. Times given are the start of tennis sessions, though the men's doubles shares courts with other tennis events.[1]

All times are Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)

Date	Time	Round
Saturday, 24 July 2021 Sunday, 25 July 2021	11:00	Round of 32
Monday, 26 July 2021	11:00	Round of 16
Tuesday, 27 July 2021	11:00	Quarterfinals
Wednesday, 28 July 2021	11:00	Semifinals
Friday, 30 July 2021	12:00	Bronze medal match Final

References

1. "Tennis Competition Schedule". Tokyo 2020. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
2. "Tokyo 2020 – ITF Tennis Qualification System" (PDF). ITF. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
3. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/47807003
4. https://www.itftennis.com/olympics/news/%2Folympics%2Fnews%2Farticles%2Fitf-announces-changes-for-2020-olympic-tennis-event
5. https://tokyo2020.org/en/games/sport/olympic/tennis/