The legendary duo of Bob and Mike Bryan have finally decided to call curtains on their storied career after 2 decades, a plethora of titles, and a place among legends.
It doesn’t happen often that 1 team or player becomes so utterly dominant that the others are fighting merely to meet them in the finals. The ones who are simply a class apart.The ones who defy all odds to perform miracles on almost a daily basis. Roger Federer of 2004-2008, Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona, Tiger Woods in his heydays and Usain Bolt during 2008-16, are some names that spring to the mind.
In the world of doubles tennis, the Bryans brothers are one such name.
Together we rose and together we set:
It all began at that Roland Garros final in 2003. In that storied match, a lanky American duo utterly destroyed the world’s then finest doubles team of Paul Haarhuis and Yevgeny Kafelnikov and announced to the world that they were here to stay.
And what a stay it turned out to be.
All 4 grand slams, all nine ATP Masters 1000’s,438 weeks at the top and to cap it all an Olympic gold at London 2012 are a part of that hallowed trophy haul that even the greats can only look at with envy.
The announcement comes just days before the US OPEN where they made their Grand Slam debut exactly 25 years ago.
The pair will officially exit on a winning note, having successfully defended their title at the Delray Beach Open and helping the U.S. qualify for the Davis Cup Finals in Hawaii before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the tennis tours to shut down for five months.
“We just both feel it in our guts that it is the right moment,” said Mike Bryan. “At this age, it takes so much work to go out there and compete. We love playing still but we don’t love getting our bodies ready to get out there. The recovery is tougher. We feel like we were competitive this year, last year, the year before. We want to go out right now where we still have some good tennis left.”
Just days before the US Open, the Bryan brothers announce their retirement. pic.twitter.com/mktUGPErnZ
— Jill Martin (@ByJillMartin) August 27, 2020
The Bryans are mirror twins of each other and that very well contributed to duo’s now-legendary court coverage skills. The pair won 16 Grand slams in total and brought high tempo, high-intensity tennis to the mainstream in new Millenium.
Lauding their achievements and their global impact on the game, ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi commented: “It’s difficult to put into words what they have brought to the game, not only on the court but also off it. As flag bearers for men’s doubles, they have been a model of consistency and excellence for the past 20 years, winning more matches, titles, and holding more weeks at number one than any team in history.”
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The entire tennis world has come forward to congratulate them on their storied career and wish them as successful of a next chapter as their tennis career-
Congratulations to our friends the Bryan brothers on 2 exceptional careers. The most successful men’s doubles team ever, they are true pros in every way, and have been excellent ambassadors for our sport.
Can’t wait to see what they accomplish next. https://t.co/xfoLTOOyx3
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) August 27, 2020
A record breaking doubles couple is retiring…
Thank you Bryan Brothers for your major impact on doubles! pic.twitter.com/uuf8l5Bif2
— ABN AMRO WTT (@abnamrowtt) August 28, 2020
Iconic team, iconic celebration 🙌
The Bryan brothers' highlight reel is next level 😍@bryanbros @BryanBrothers pic.twitter.com/XfWGEnp019
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 27, 2020
🏆 16 Grand Slam titles
🙌 39 Masters 1000 titles
🥇 Olympic Gold Medallists
🌎 438 weeks as joint World No. 1Thank you for everything, @bryanbros @BryanBrothers 🙏 pic.twitter.com/Dhmwyz7mbm
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 27, 2020
The legacy of Bryan brothers-
The legacy of Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan isn’t just about their record-breaking achievements on the court; of their much-loved chest-bumping celebrations and energy, but it is also how they helped further popularise and promote the sport to new audiences in the 21st century.
In a world where doubles tennis players are almost always in shadows of superstars like Federer and Nadal, the Bryans showed to the world that it takes as much talent, as much grit and as much effort to succeed in doubles tournaments too.
All we can say after 25 years of breathtaking tennis from the duo is-
thank You and All the best
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