Jamie Murray criticizes singles players, says they play doubles just for a quick paycheck

What's the story?

In an illuminating interview, former doubles World No. 1 Jamie Murray fired shots at singles tennis players who sign up to compete in doubles matches just to earn some "stress-free money".

Whilst admitting that he found the contrasting styles of singles and doubles interesting, the doubles specialist argued that many of the singles players don't take their doubles matches as seriously as they should.

In case you didn't know...

Although Andy Murray gets the majority of the limelight in the Murray household, his brother Jamie has also been a significant presence in the tennis world. He has won an incredible seven Grand Slam titles in men's doubles and mixed doubles combined, and continues to be a force in team competitions.

Most recently, he helped Great Britain reach the semifinals of the Davis Cup in Madrid, where his team lost to the Rafael Nadal-led Spain.

Great Britain Compete For 2019 Davis Cup

The heart of the matter

In an interview with Behind The Racquet, Jamie expressed his views on singles players competing in doubles matches. The Scot admitted: “I find it interesting when the singles guys compete against doubles. It’s fun watching these contrasting styles of tennis on the same court."

He wasn't wholly positive, however, and appeared to fire shots at some of the singles players for their lack of respect for doubles tennis.

"The singles guys might rip on the doubles guys but at the end of the day, they’re still out there competing each week because it’s (a) way for them to make stress free money."

Jamie Murray vents frustration against Singles players

“You just sign your name every week, doesn’t matter if you win, lose or draw and there’s no accountability for their performance. Whereas for doubles guys if I lose four times in a row, my ranking is going to drop and I won’t get into any tournaments. For the singles guys, it doesn’t matter what the results are they can just keep signing in," he continued.

He concluded by suggesting that the attitude of singles players hurts the standards of doubles tennis.

“I do find it frustrating, and not a good look for our product if there are guys on court playing without any interest of trying to win. They’re just there to get a little practice in, get used to the conditions and a quick paycheck."

What's next?

Jamie knows the struggles of doubles players in comparison to those of singles players better than most, considering he himself is a doubles specialist while his brother is more focused on singles. His words could well have a positive effect on the two circuits, forcing the singles players to show a greater sense of commitment when they do wade into doubles.