How doubles stardom has helped Vavassori shine in singles
Andrea Vavassori walked to the net to shake hands Tuesday after winning a first-round match at the Adelaide International. That in itself is not surprising.
What might pique fans’ attention is that it was not a doubles match. Vavassori, who was an alternate into the singles qualifying draw, earned his way into the main draw and then upset the No. 41 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, Gabriel Diallo.
“Today was a great match. It’s confidence for me because Gabriel is an unbelievable player,” Vavassori told ATPTour.com. “I saw him playing many times last year. He is one of the players that the top players don’t want to play because with his serve and forehand, he’s very dangerous.”
Many will start saying that about Vavassori, too. The 30-year-old is known for his doubles success, partnering Simone Bolelli to the past two editions of the Nitto ATP Finals and three major men’s doubles finals, including at the 2024 and 2025 Australian Opens.
But the Italian is showing in Adelaide that he is a force to be reckoned with on the singles court, too, even if he learned of his entry in the draw at the last moment.
“Honestly, I didn’t expect it because I was practising a lot also in the gym the day before,” Vavassori said. “I found out last minute. The supervisor advised me 10 minutes before the end of the sign-in [period for qualifying].”
[NO 1 CLUB]Vavassori is World No. 336, but has climbed as high as No. 128 in 2023. In the past two years, he has played Carlos Alcaraz twice and Jannik Sinner once, so he has plenty of experience on the big stage. The winner of 11 tour-level singles matches has prepared for such moments, too.
“I practised a lot during the preseason also in singles because we don’t have so many players also to practise doubles in my hometown, and I think practicing singles helps me become a better player overall,” Vavassori said. “It’s not about singles, doubles, mixed doubles, but it’s about becoming a better player. I’m enjoying playing tennis every time I can. I’m very competitive, so when I go on the court, I try to give my best always.”
Vavassori would like to play more singles if given the opportunity, but it is not a simple situation. He is No. 14 in the PIF ATP Doubles Rankings, allowing him to play the biggest tournaments in the world, for which he does not often earn a spot in singles.
That is why he enjoys the opportunity to compete like he is this week in Adelaide. The Torino native actually believes he is “much better” in singles now than was the case when it was his primary focus.
“In doubles you are also handling the pressure in the big moments on big courts,” Vavassori said. “That helped me become a better player overall. I think I’m practising the right way. I’m understanding more my game. I think I have a different style of play [compared to other] players. Maybe I try to go more to the net. We don’t see much of this type of play any more.
“I think that the best thing doubles did for me is to become a better player in pressure moments because when you play Grand Slam finals in doubles or mixed doubles, I think the pressure is there. It’s helped me to become a better player in situations. So today, maybe two, three opportunities I played in a good way.”
Vavassori hopes that continues, starting with his second-round match Wednesday against home favourite Aleksandar Vukic and his doubles match later in the day with Bolelli.
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