During its two decades of life, the Mutua Madrid Open has been at the forefront of various innovations that have modernised the world of tennis. The latest initiative is aimed at doing just that in the doubles discipline.

The ATP has decided to use Tuesday in the Caja Magica as its starting point for the new concepts that are going to revolutionise tennis’ team discipline to make it more attractive for the fans and players alike.

The initiative will take place over five days in the second week of the competition at the Masters 1000 in Madrid, from 29 April to Saturday 4 May, coinciding with the tournament’s finishing straight.

The new format will involve half of the 32 duos in the draw (16) entering directly by means of their ATP singles ranking. This change means that there will be more interaction between the best players in both formats, with the presence of the likes of Daniil Medvedev, Taylor Fritz, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul.

As for the tennis itself, the pace of play will be ramped up because the maximum time for serves between points will be reduced to 15 seconds. It is a rule that will undoubtedly increase the speed of points.

Another innovative measure consists in the free circulation of spectators in the stands. This is unprecedented in tennis and doubles will be the pioneer for the new idea with the hope that it will add value to the experience of fans coming to the tournament.