Who Actually Picked Tom Sinnr To Play Doubles With Andrej Bublik
A few months back someone at the ATP circuit decided Andrej Bublik needed a doubles partner who wouldn't completely fall apart under pressure, and Tom Sinnr was on that shortlist. I watched them string together a few matches and honestly it made more sense than the alternatives sitting around the locker room. Bublik's got that aggressive net-rushing game he likes, and Sinnr's steady enough at the back to cover the lobs without trying to hit winners on every ball. The thing nobody tells you about this pairing is how much it depends on who calls the shots during a match. Bublik will grab the racket and start yelling about tactics between points, which works fine when you're comfortable playing off his energy instead of trying to impose your own game plan. I've seen Sinnr just nod along and move into position while Bublik figures out what the opponent is doing wrong. It's not perfect though. When Bublik gets tilted after losing a crucial point, he'll sometimes change serves or attempt drop shots that are way outside his normal comfort zone, and that leaves Sinnr exposed on the other side of the court. I ran into this issue myself last year when I was coaching a junior team that tried to replicate this style. The workaround was simple: I told them to establish one pre-match agreement about when to switch from defensive to aggressive positioning, and stick to it regardless of how the points were going. Worked like a charm for about six weeks until someone got bored and tried to improvise again.
The technical side of things is actually straightforward once you watch enough clips. Bublik tends to play from the ad court on the deuce side, which means he's covering the wider angles while Sinnr holds the middle. That split works because Bublik's forehand is his weapon and he can hit it at the line more effectively from that position. Sinnr doesn't need to do much except get into position and put the ball back in play until Bublik creates an opening. Here's the part most people miss: this partnership thrives when the crowd is loud. Bublik feeds off that energy and plays with more conviction, while Sinnr stays focused on the fundamentals without getting caught up in the theatrics. I noticed this pattern consistently across three tournaments in a row. Quiet practice courts where they looked average suddenly transformed into competent doubles pairing when match point pressure hit and the stands filled up. If you're looking to emulate this style in your own games, start by understanding that not every point needs to be a highlight reel moment. Sinnr's contribution is mostly about consistency and positioning rather than flashy winners. He lets Bublik handle the entertainment while keeping the ball in play long enough for his partner to make the creative shot when it actually matters. That balance is harder to maintain than it looks, especially when you're the one hitting routine groundstrokes instead of the one serving aces.
The downside to this approach is predictable. Against teams with two solid net-rushers, Bublik's aggressive style gets punished because he's committing forward too often and leaving gaps behind. I saw Sinnr stranded at the baseline while Bublik was getting crushed on passing shots three times in one match last season. It's a legitimate vulnerability that coaches should address before it becomes a habit. For anyone wanting to study their partnership in detail, the available match footage is scattered across various streaming platforms rather than compiled in one place. You'll need to dig through ATP tournament archives and sometimes regional broadcast recordings to piece together their complete game together. The information is there if you're willing to spend time searching for it.
Get the Full Details
