American twins Bob and Mike Bryan announced their retirement after a record-breaking doubles career Thursday, making official what seemed clear when they did not enter the U.S. Open.
The 42-year-old brothers collected 16 Grand Slam championships together, 119 tour-level titles and a 2012 Olympic gold medal. They finished 10 seasons atop the ATP doubles rankings and helped the United States win the Davis Cup in 2007.
Along the way, they became as famous a doubles team as there was, known for leaping to bump chests at the end of victories.
The Bryans, who were born in California, already had said 2020 would be their last year on tour.
“We feel it’s the right time to walk away,” Mike said.
They were not on the entry list released last week for doubles at the U.S. Open, where play begins Monday without spectators amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Bryans won five championships as a pairing in New York, most recently in 2014.
“We’re most proud of the way we devoted ourselves completely to the game and gave our full effort every day,” Bob said. “Our loyalty toward each other never wavered and we are leaving professional tennis with zero regrets. We’ll miss the competition and camaraderie amongst the players. We’ll also miss the excitement of gearing up for a big match and playing for the roar of the fans.”
He had hip surgery in 2018. While he was off the tour, Mike won two additional Grand Slam titles with Jack Sock as his partner.
The brothers are the most successful doubles team in Davis Cup history, winning 25 matches across 15 years.
In March, just before tennis shut down because of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Bryans clinched a Davis Cup best-of-five series by giving the U.S. a 3-0 lead against Uzbekistan in Hawaii.
Under new rules instituted in 2018, the twins are the first ATP players whose credentials qualify them for automatic listing on the ballot for the International Tennis Hall of Fame, bypassing the usual nomination process.
They'll be eligible for the Class of 2025.
