John Isner and Jack Sock at Wimbledon

Jack Sock hits a backhand during a match at the Swiss Indoors in Basel. Associated Press

Jack Sock may be at a crossroads in his career in which he has to make a choice between pursuing singles success or doubles glory.

Sock defeated John Isner in straight sets at the Swiss Indoors in Basel on Thursday. On Wednesday, Isner was Sock's doubles partner. Last week, Sockreached the finals at Stockholm, where he lost to Tomas Berdych. But Sock picked up thedoubles titlein Stockholm with fellow American Nicholas Monroe.

So far, juggling doubles and singles hasn't been an issue for Sock. But the 23-year-old is entering a new phase in his career.

He's now the No. 2-ranked American on the ATP Tour and on the cusp of breaking into the top 25.

A promising talent, Sock probably never set out to be a doubles specialist. However, last year, when he teamed up with Canada's Vasek Pospisil, doubles success came swiftly.

The two went on a record 14-match winning streak that included a Wimbledon title and upset victory over Mike and Bob Bryan. The doubles team of "Popsock" rose to No. 6. Meanwhile, Sock's singles career lingered outside the top 60.

Despite the huge disparity in pay for doubles compared to singles, Sock made nearly the same prize money in both last year.

This season, he's having his best year yet in singles. He won his first ATP title (Houston). He reached acareer-highranking at No. 27. He could match that depending on how he finishes in Basel.

Thursday's win marked Sock's second victory over Isner, who leads the head-to-head 4-2. It was also a matchup between the two highest-ranked Americans. With Isner now 30, Sock is the closest thing the Americans have to a hopeful future in men's singles.

But does that future in singles have enough room for a full-time doubles career?

On the WTA Tour, several women in the top 20 play doubles regularly. Third-ranked Garbine Muguruza teams up with No. 12 Carla Suarez Navarro in doubles. Muguruza, seeded second at the WTA Finals, also qualified for doubles at the year-end championships.

French Open finalist Lucie Safarova, ranked No. 9, is also part of a doubles team with Bethanie Mattek-Sands that won the Australian Open and French Open titles. Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci once made up a powerhouse doubles team.

Of course, Venus and Serena Williams won 13 Grand Slam titles in doubles and 28 in singles.

Jack Sock and Vasek Pospisil celebrate winning the 2014 Wimbledon Finals over the Bryan brothers. Jan Kruger/Getty Images

But on the men's tour, none of the top 10 players are part of a regular doubles team. Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka will team up at the Olympics, Davis Cup and occasionally at a Masters tournament, but they are mostly singles players.

Also, none of the top 10 players in doubles are ranked in the top 20 in singles.

After his doubles win at Wimbledon, Soc k told reporters that he believed doubles success could translate to singles wins."Any match you win, especially in Grand Slams, playing in the second week can only help your confidence in all aspects of tennis."

At the French Open, Sock advanced to the fourth round in singles and the quarterfinals in doubles. After his fourth-round loss to Rafael Nadal, Sock spoke with reporters in a post-match press conference about the challenges of playing singles and doubles at a Slam:

Some people like the off days to do a light practice or work on things and then get ready for the next match.  I don't mind going out and playing a doubles match and working on returning serving and working on a few things.  Just being out on court, just all the experience you get on court can only help.

Perhaps it's a good training ground for an up-and-coming player. But with the increasing demands of the tour, established stars have all but abandoned season-long doubles. One of the reasons is that men's doubles no longer attracts top talent.

John McEnroe had a successful doubles and singles career. But in an interview with the Times of London (h/t Tennis.com), McEnroe questioned whether the tour should even continue to support doubles:

I don't know what doubles is bringing to the table. The doubles are the slow guys who aren't quick enough to play singles. Would it be better off, no disrespect, but would it be better off if there was no doubles at all, and we invest all the money we save elsewhere so that some other guys who never really got into a good position in the sport, end up playing more in singles?

Yikes, that seems rather harsh. But McEnroe has a point. Unless it's the Olympics or Davis Cup, doubles is not attracting the top talent. And if Sock's goal is to be the best, he needs to compete against the best.

Instead of the best players, men's doubles is dominated by specialists who have had little singles success.

Leander Paes, 42, is one of the greatest doubles players of all time. A former No. 1, Paes just won the U.S. Open mixed doubles title with Martina Hingis. His highest ranking in singles was No. 73. Rohan Bopanna, 35, is ranked No. 14 in doubles. He has 14 career titles in men's doubles but was never ranked above No. 213 in singles.

At the elite level, singles and doubles are two different games. With his best years still in front of him, Sock needs to decide which game he wants to play.

John Isner and Jack Sock at Wimbledon

Source: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2584046-jack-sock-facing-career-crossroads-between-singles-success-and-doubles-glory

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