Almost is a word that has justifiably defined the pair of Andrea Vavassori and Simone Bolleli.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
The Italian doubles duo have shown incredible camaraderie on the court and won 10 ATP titles together. However, their Grand Slam luck, on the other hand, has been stuck in a cycle of near-misses. And that is exactly what they don’t want anymore.
“I don’t know if the Slam with Vavassori will happen,” said Simone Bolleli in an interview with Spazio on Sunday, October 11. “We’ve made some decisions, I think we’ll separate at the end of the year.”
“I still have the fire, but the Slam isn’t an obsession for me. If it comes, great, but regardless, I’ll try to give it my all.”
Bolleli and Vavassori are 41 and 31 years of age, respectively. And a 10-year gap often comes with varied motivation. While Bolleli wants to take it slow, Vavassori’s opinion might differ. This seems like a conversation the duo has possibly had before the interview.
While Bolleli expressed his desire to keep playing, his hunger to win a Grand Slam is not as intense as it was when he won the Australian Open with Fabio Fognini in 2015. On the other hand, Vavassori has an impeccable record, with four Grand Slams in the mixed doubles alongside Sara Errani, which fuels his interest in repeating the same legacy in the men’s doubles as well.
To put it simply, they just want different things in life.
This announcement came suddenly, after their first-round loss in the Shanghai Masters on Sunday against Nikola Mektic and Austin Krajicek. The reason for this is that, since their pair came together in 2023, both have referred to each other as close friends and spoken amicably about each other.
However, the news seemed almost certain after sources like Sky Sports reported that Vavassori will be teaming up with El Salvador’s Marcelo Arevalo from next season on. This is reportedly a decision they have reached mutually, with each of them looking for a fresh stimulus in their career.
Andrea Vavassori Eyes Success in Singles As Well
Andrea Vavassori is a household name in doubles, but that has never meant putting his singles career in the backseat for the Italian. He climbed to his career-high singles ranking of 128 in 2023, and since then he has often found the motivation to play but has never found the time.
However, speaking to the ATP Tour earlier this year, the doubles No. 10 revealed that playing singles is the reason he has found success in doubles.
“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.”
His hectic doubles schedule often stands as a barrier for him to continue pursuing his singles dreams, but he is not one to listen to such restrictions. He believes that with practice, he has become better in singles than when it was his sole 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.”
While we don’t yet know if a men’s doubles Grand Slam is on the cards for Vavassori, what we know for sure is he is willing to work doubly as hard to make that dream a reality.