Finding stability on the doubles court
Since dropping out of the Top 100, the main challenge has been finding a consistent partner. “It’s something a lot of players face, especially around rankings 130 to 150,” Walków explained. “I entered the Top 100 with Jan Zieliński. We had a good year, caught momentum and moved up as a team. Stability is important: you plan tournaments together, improve what’s not working, win and lose as a pair.”
Zieliński has since become a fixture on the ATP Tour. Walków points to timing and circumstances. “Janek had a great run with Hubert [Hurkacz], won an ATP 250 in Metz, then teamed with Hugo Nys, got into the Grand Slams, and they made it work. There was some luck, but also quality tennis. That’s why he went higher.”
Walków himself has played Grand Slams and big events and insists the gap between players ranked 100 to 150 and the elite is small. “In doubles the margin is minimal—one ball, one lapse of concentration, one tiebreak. The best teams maintain a high level all year, but that doesn’t mean a lower-ranked team can’t beat the top. At the US Open, Hubert and I beat a seeded pair, I think No. 4 in the world. We served well, got one or two breaks—that was enough.”
Still, the format can be frustrating. “You can lose several matches in a row on match tiebreaks. With advantage scoring and a full third set, maybe the better team would win more often. But the rules are set by others, and our job is to adapt.”
He also feels doubles deserves more respect. “Sometimes at the Grand Slams, it feels like doubles is treated second-class. From the organizers’ point of view, big names like Świątek, Sabalenka, Sinner or Alcaraz draw crowds. That’s what sells. But should it come at the expense of doubles and the history of the tournament? Doubles play is dynamic, spectacular, and full of twists. Recreational fans love to watch it. Maybe it could be promoted better—but that’s for the federations to decide.”
