Kolkata: Perhaps the most successful duo of world tennis, the Bryan Brothers announced their retirement from the Davis Cup yesterday, reports AFP. This brings an end to the 14-year journey of the most celebrated and successful doubles team of the United States and world.
Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan, both were born in April 29, 1978. Mike is the elder one, although just by 2 minutes. It is believed that some of their success is attributed to them being twins. They were Mirror Twins. The left hand-right hand combination of theirs gave nightmares to their opponents. They are well known for their signature style, the ‘Chest-bumping celebrations’ during and after winning matches.
Their long journey started in the year 1995, where they made their Grand Slam debut at the US Open. Since then, there has been no looking back for the duo. They went on to create and beat numerous records. They have held the world’s Number One doubles ranking for a whopping 438 weeks, which is a record. They also hold a record for winning the most number of Grand Slams than other men’s double pairing till date. They hold 16 Grand Slam titles and have also won the gold medal in men’s doubles in the London Olympics 2012. Not only this, the duo has also won 11 Davis Cup titles, the last coming in the year 2007.
On their Instagram account, the brothers said, “Clinching the Davis Cup final in 2007, while representing Team USA was one of the greatest highlights of our career.” “We’ve been blessed to play for two amazing captains, Patrick McEnroe and Jim Courier, and we are extremely grateful for their leadership and trust over these last 14 years,” they added.
The brothers are currently playing in the Australian Open in Melbourne and are keen on clinching the coveted doubles title.