Mankato, MN, WPH Press, 3/4/26
Mark Doyle has emerged as one of the world’s best players, advancing to the semifinals of the last two Race 4 Eight stops (2025 Tucson Memorial, 2026 St. Louis), advancing to the final of the 2026 GAA Mick Kerr, and winning the 2026 USHA National Collegiate Handball Championships. In his last two Race 4 Eight starts, Doyle has defeated former Race 4 Eight top five-star Sam Esser twice, R48 #6 Ivan Burgos, and stunned R48 #1 Martin Mulkerrins to end Mulkerrins’s 10 consecutive finals streak.
Doyle announced himself on the Race 4 Eight tour in his 2022/23 rookie season, overcoming six match points to advance to the quarterfinals of his second Race start. Doyle continued knocking on the door, eventually making his first Race final at the 2025 Pete Tyson R48 LTE in Austin, holding an 11-9 tiebreaker lead against Mulkerrins in the third game before falling just short.
Doyle was expected to carry the momentum from the end of the 2024/25 season into the first stop of the 2025/26 season in Portland but lost both of his matches, dropping him out of the Elite 8 heading into the 2025 Tucson Memorial. Doyle appeared to be heading for his third consecutive loss in his round of 32 match against Loren Collado at the Memorial, trailing 6-10 in the third. Doyle rallied, saving his season and kickstarting a torrid stretch that saw him charge into the Memorial semifinals and eventually the St. Louis semifinals two months later, losing to former Mankato teammate Ray Ure in both final four clashes.
The WPH sat down with one of the tour’s brightest stars, discussing his slow start to the 2025/26 Race season, playing Killian Carroll for the first time in a tournament at the 2026 Mick Kerr, how his game has evolved since he started playing the Race 4 Eight tour during the 2022/23 season, his career-best win against Martin Mulkerrins, his cross-training, and more.
The Slow Start to the 2025/26 Season
“I don’t think a lot has changed since then (losing in the round of 16 and the first round of the ninth place playoffs in Portland,” Doyle would later say. “I have been doing the same training I was before. I felt like I prepared well and done what I could to win those two matches. I had multiple match points in both matches, so credit has to go to Jeff and Diarmuid to be able to come back and wins those games. On the other hand, in Tucson, I had a very close tiebreaker with Loren in the round of 32 that I could have easily lost and I end up making a semifinals, so sometimes I suppose a bit of luck is needed too.”
Facing Killian for the First Time in a Tournament
In between making the semifinals at the 2025 Memorial and the 2026 St. Louis Race 4 Eight, Doyle traveled to Ireland to play in the Mick Kerr Memorial in the first week of January, defeating Diarmaid Nash in the semifinals and playing his hero and mentor, Killian Carroll in the final.
“Playing Killian was a great experience,” stated Doyle. “It was something I was trying to get the chance to do for the last few years. Luckily, Mike Wells was able to organize a practice game for me with him when he was on campus, but it was definitely a different ball game playing him in a tournament. I think what’s different to him than others is his ability to play so many different ways. He can do everything, serve and shoot, serve left and right, perfect defense, not to mention his speed. It was a great experience to play him and I hope we can see him on tour before the season is out! Playing Killian is more motivation than anything else, seeing how good he is at every aspect of the game and the training he has done to get to that standard is inspiring.”
Scoring his First Win Against Martin Mulkerrins
Doyle has frequently said that when he first came to the U.S. to play the Race 4 Eight tour, he just wanted to be on the same court with the tour’s giants, to include Martin and Killian. Doyle began to close the gap against Martin, inching closer to one of the best players in the history of the Race 4 Eight each season and eventually notching his first win against Mulkerrins at January’s St. Louis Race 4 Eight. “Our game in Austin (finals of the 2026 Pete Tyson R48 LTE) was somewhat close,” reflected Doyle. “I felt like I had a chance that day but maybe got a little tight when it got late and his experience showed. Unfortunately, a week later in Salt Lake City, he blew me out of the water, only letting me score a couple of points. I felt like I played well (against him) in St. Louis. My dad always said if you can kill enough balls, you can beat anyone, and I think that may have been the case here. I’m not sure we seen a vintage Martin performance on the day either, I know he didn’t have the best preparation coming into the tournament with his trip to Uganda and getting married, so I think I caught him at a good time. Nonetheless I was delighted with the win.”
Discussing the Importance of Cross-Training
Doyle has become one of the most disciplined and dedicated players in the sport, prioritizing not only his on-court training, but also his cross-training with Fitness Coach Tadgh Carroll to prepare for tournaments. “I try to do as much off-court training as I can,” revealed Doyle. “I’m in college at the minute, so it’s super convenient and I have plenty of spare time. I can go to campus in the morning to get some training in before class and come back later to play handball or get some cardio in. Our courts, gym and running track are all in the one building so there’s no real excuses in terms of facilities. Tadgh (via FaceTime) makes my training program both strength work and conditioning. He is great. The man really is a genius and an unbelievable athlete himself. I just let him know when I have upcoming tournaments and he tailors the training around that. I couldn’t recommend him enough.”
How His Game Has Evolved in the Last Four Years
Doyle recognizes the improvements he has made as a 20-year-old rookie in 2023 to now. “I’d like to think I have become a more rounded player,” stated Doyle. “I think when I came on to the tour first, I wasn’t fit or strong enough, but I got away with it a little bit as my game was more unorthodox back then. So that has improved. I have also put a lot of work into my left hand over the last few years; it’s something that can always be improved. Lastly, I think that I have become more aggressive and adapted to the offensive American style of play due to the faster ball.”
Facing Ray Ure
Former collegiate teammate and frequent sparring partner Ray Ure has ended Doyle’s last two Race 4 Eight runs in the semifinals and Mark knows how difficult a challenge Ure poses. “Ray is playing great at the minute,” stated Doyle. “I think his serve and two-handed offensive is really difficult to play against. He puts you under so much pressure with his serve and power that he is able get a lot of set ups, where he is usually able to end the rally from there.”
Expectations for the Next Race Stop at the LAAC
Up next for Doyle is the March 20-22 LAAC Race 4 Eight, where Doyle will aim to continue his semifinal streak. “I’m really excited for the LAAC. It’s a brilliant tournament, but my expectations don’t change now. I’ll be going into L.A. to try and win the tournament, the same as all the others. On the same note, beating Martin doesn’t change anything going forward, as almost any pro can beat another regardless of rankings. So for now, I’m just going to keep training and showing up to Race Stops and try and put together some good performances and hopefully some wins.”
Doyle Wins the 2026 USHA Collegiate National Championship HERE
Entry page for the 2026 Race 4 Eight LAAC HERE
2025 JR WPH Portfolio HERE
Updated Race 4 Eight Fun Facts and Trends post St. Louis HERE
Race 4 Eight Champions and Finalists 2011-present HERE
Updated Race 4 Eight Rankings Post 2026 St. Louis HERE
Race 4 Eight pro player bios HERE
WPH Coaching Centers HERE
WPH Workout Central HERE
2025/26 Race 4 Eight schedule HERE
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer