Bob and Mike Bryan closed out a perfect run through Group B at the Wimbledon Gentlemen’s Invitation Doubles on Friday, defeating James Blake and Kyle Edmund 6-1, 6-2 to finish their group round robin 3-0 and punch their ticket to the final. The Bryans will now look to secure their fifth consecutive Gentleman’s Invitation Doubles Championship on Sunday, July 12.
Their path to the final opened with a battle, including a 20-18 match tiebreak against Fabio Fognini and Lleyton Hewitt where they emerged victorious after splitting the first two sets 6-3, 3-6. They followed with a clean 6-3, 6-3 win over Robert Lindstedt and Horia Tecau. Group B concluded with Fognini and Hewitt as runners up at 2-1, Blake and Edmund in third place at 1-2, and Lindstedt and Tecau winless at 0-3.
Waiting in the final will be Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares, who were also unbeaten atop Group A and closed out their own round robin against Marcos Baghdatis and Xavier Malisse 6-3, 3-6, (10-7). Murray and Soares won two Grand Slams together in 2016 emerging victorious at the Australian Open and US Open. Bob and Mike have played five ATP matches against Murray and Soares with a record of 3-2. All matches were played between 2016 and 2018. Most recently, the Bros. beat Murray and Soares in the 2018 Madrid quarterfinals 6-4, 6-7(4), (10-7).
Now well into their second act at the All England Club, Bob and Mike remain the most decorated doubles team in tennis history. They won the Wimbledon men’s doubles title three times together in 2006, 2011, and 2013, as part of a career that achieved 16 Grand Slam doubles championships and 119 ATP Titles, the most for any team. In 2018, Mike added a fourth men’s doubles Wimbledon Championship when he partnered with Jack Sock when Bob was injured. Mike and Jack won both Wimbledon and the US Open together that year.
The Bros. are hoping to complete another great Wimbledon on Sunday by taking their fifth Gentleman’s Invitation Doubles final that will close out the Championships.
Held each year during Wimbledon fortnight, the Gentleman’s Invitation Doubles brings together eight teams of former professionals, ages 35 and over in a round robin competition followed by a “winner take all” final. The Bryans have won the event in four consecutive years from 2022 through 2025, tying Mark Philippoussis for the most Invitation Doubles titles in tournament history. A win in this weekend’s final would make the Bryans the outright record holders.