It all started as a simple idea. Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz and Lorenzo Musetti had worked their way through the ATP Tour season, chasing PIF ATP Rankings points, trophies and sleep in equal measure.
Somewhere between a training block and a long-haul flight, a thought occurred to De Minaur: what if someone else could handle the press conferences, photo shoots and fan content – so we could stay focused on tennis?
Enter: the dolls.
#TheHandover: How it all started…
At first the plan seemed foolproof. The trio’s handmade doubles games – complete with miniature rackets, finely stitched hair and a surprising amount of attitude – were brought in to lighten the load. The players were able to train; the puppets could perform. Simple. Effective. Genius even.
It all started during the Rolex Paris Masters. But as the cameras rolled, something unexpected happened. The puppets were not content to be background characters. They started improvising, talking back, and they were so realistic that they started stealing the spotlight.
The dolls meet in Paris. Photo: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP tour
Yet everyone, in classic ATP Tour fashion, gets to work on it.
The Handover has become the latest must-watch social series. Stay up to date with the The ATP Tour Instagram account to find out who’s really running the show.
The dolls don’t say much, but they will see you on tour.
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#handover #puppets #pulling #strings #ATP #Tour