everything adds up
How a doubles star helped Vavassori shine in singles
The Italian talks to ATPTour.com about his doubles in Adelaide
January 13, 2026
Andrew Eichenholz/ATP Tour
Andrea Vavassori plays both singles and doubles in Adelaide.
Andrew Eikenholz
Andrea Vavassori steps up to the net to shake hands following her first-round win at the Adelaide International on Tuesday. This in itself is not surprising.
What fans may notice is that this is not a tag team match. Vavasoli entered the main draw as a substitute in the singles qualifiers and defeated Gabriel Diallo, No. 41 in the PIF ATP Rankings.
“Today was a great match. It’s confidence for me because Gabriel is an incredible player,” Vavassori told ATPTour.com. “I watched him play a lot last year. He’s one of those players that top players don’t want to play because his serve and forehand are so dangerous.”
Many people will start to say this about Vavasoli as well. The 30-year-old is best known for his doubles success, having partnered with Simone Bolelli at the past two Nitto ATP Finals and three major men’s doubles finals, including the 2024 and 2025 Australian Open.
But the Italian showed in Adelaide that he was a force to be reckoned with in the singles arena, even if he only learned of his inclusion in the draw at the last minute.
“Honestly, I didn’t expect it because I had been practicing a lot in the gym the day before,” Vavasoli said. “I found out at the last minute. The supervisor informed me 10 minutes before the check-in ended [period for qualifying]”.
Vavassori is currently ranked 336th in the world, but has climbed to 128th in 2023. He has fought Carlos Alcaraz twice and Jannik Sinner once in the past two years, so he has plenty of experience on the big stage. The 11-tournament singles winner is also prepared for moments like this.
“I also practiced a lot of singles during the preseason because we don’t have that many players in my hometown who also practice doubles, and I think practicing singles helped me become a better player,” Vavasoli said. “It’s not a question of singles, doubles, mixed doubles, it’s a question of becoming a better player. I enjoy every time I get to play tennis. I’m very competitive, so when I get on the court, I always try to give my best.”
Vavasoli would like to play more singles if given the chance, but this is not a simple situation. He is ranked 14th in the PIF ATP doubles rankings, allowing him to compete in the world’s biggest events, where he doesn’t often get a singles spot.
That’s why he relishes the chance to compete like he did this week in Adelaide. The Turin native actually believes he’s “much better” now in isolations than when he was mainly focused on it.
“In doubles, you’re also dealing with the pressure of crunch time on a big court,” Vavassoli said. “It’s helped me become a better player. I think I’m practicing the right way. I know my game better. I think I have a different style of play. [compared to other] player. Maybe I’ll try to be online more. We rarely see this type of game anymore.
“I think the best thing for me in doubles is to become a better player in pressure moments, because when you play a Grand Slam final in doubles or mixed doubles, I think the pressure is there. It helps me become a better player in certain situations. So today, maybe there were two or three opportunities where I played well.”
Vavassori hopes that can continue, starting with Wednesday’s second-round match against home favorite Aleksandar Vukic and a doubles match with Borelli later in the day.
