Legacy

In 1991, Bob and Mike Bryan won the Boys’ 14 and Under National Clay Court Championships in Doubles. The dynamic duo returned in 1992 and successfully defended their title – a preview of their future dominance on the doubles court.

The Bryan Bros. were integral to Stanford University’s historic NCAA “Triple Crown” victory, capturing the team, singles, and doubles titles as freshmen.  Bob clinched the NCAA Singles Championship, while he and Mike took home the NCAA Doubles Championship and joined their teammates to celebrate the Cardinals’ National Championship. Their performances led Stanford to a perfect season and solidified their place in collegiate tennis history as part of one of the most accomplished teams ever assembled.

The Stanford standouts turned pro in 1998 following the completion of their college season. Their first win on the ATP Tour came in Washington DC. They reached their first ATP final at the 1999 U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships in Orlando, falling in the finals to Jim Courier and Todd Woodbridge.

Mike and Bob won their first match at a Grand Slam during the 2000 US Open and advanced to  the quarterfinals.

The Bryans won their first ATP doubles title at the 2001 Kroger St. Jude International in Memphis, then classified as an ATP International Series Gold, where they defeated Alex O’Brien and Jonathan Stark in the final 6–3, 7–6 (7–3).

The dominant lefty-righty combination finished the season with a 54–19 match record and won a then “career best” five ATP titles (ATP International- Acapulco, Mexico, Franklin Templeton Tennis Classic – Scottsdale, Ariz., Hall of Fame Championships – Newport, R.I., Canada Masters – Toronto, and Swiss Indoors – Basel). The US Open Mixed Doubles Championship was up for grabs between Mike and Bob. Mike prevailed with partner Lisa Raymond defeating Bob and Katarina Srebotnik 7-6 (11–9), 7–6 (7–1) in the final with both sets going to a tiebreak.

The twins reached their first Grand Slam final winning Roland Garros by defeating Paul Haarhuis and Yevgeny Kafelnikov 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 without dropping a set in the entire tournament. The Bryans also made their Davis Cup debut in Slovakia and achieved the ATP World #1 ranking in doubles for the first time.

The California natives scored a new “career best” seven ATP titles (APPT Championships – Adelaide, Kroger St. Jude International – Memphis, ATP International – Acapulco, Stella Artois Championships – London, Mercedes Benz Cup – Los Angeles, Swiss Indoors – Basel, ATP Finals – Houston.) The Bryans were members of Team USA at the Athens Olympics in 2004 where they reached the quarterfinals.

Bob and Mike reached four Grand Slam finals emerging as runners-up in the first three (Australian Open, Roland Garros, and Wimbledon) and captured their second Grand Slam in front of cheering fans at the US Open.

Following their 2003 Roland Garros and 2005 US Open Championships, the Bryan Bros. completed their Career Grand Slam by winning both the Australian Open and Wimbledon, finishing the year as the #1 ranked team.

The Bryan Bros. had an exceptional season in 2007 which they capped off by clinching the Davis Cup for Team USA for the first time in 12 years. The 31-time Davis Cup champion Team USA had been stuck in its longest title drought. However, the Bryans’ transcendent performance sealed victory over Russia, and Team USA raised the Davis Cup for the 32^nd time. With the win, the brothers improved their all-time Davis Cup record to 13-1, and they became the only team to go undefeated (4-0) in a Davis Cup Season twice (2004 & 2007). The historic 2007 season was marked by a record 11 titles, in which their 77-9 overall won-loss record  (89.5% win rate) remains the highest men’s doubles mark of all time. They successfully defended their Australian Open Championships and secured five ATP Masters 1000 titles (Miami Open, Monte-Carlo Masters, Madrid Open, Paris Masters, Hamburg Open).  2007 saw the Bryans clinch the year-end #1 ranking for the third consecutive year.

Bob and Mike reached the semifinals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and took home their first Olympic medal – a Bronze medal for the Americans. They won three Masters 1000s (Miami Open, Rome Masters, and Cincinnati Open), and they captured their sixth Grand Slam at the US Open.

The powerhouse pair won their seventh Grand Slam which was their third Australian Open Championship. The Bryans also became the most successful U.S. Davis Cup doubles team with 15 wins after securing a victory over Switzerland. The season ended with a triumph at the ATP World Tour Finals in London, earning their fifth year-end #1 ranking.

The chest-bumping brothers matched their all- time record for the most doubles titles in a single ATP season in the Open Era when they won 11 titles, including their fourth Australian Open and four Masters 1000s (Madrid Open, Italian Open, Canada Open, Cincinnati Masters). After prevailing at the  Farmers Classic in Los Angeles for their 62^nd win, the brothers surpassed Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde’s (known as “the Woodies”) doubles record. Their win streak continued at the US Open, where they claimed their ninth Grand Slam. On September 6, 2010, they broke another record by holding the world #1 doubles ranking for 205 weeks by passing the previous mark of 204 held by Todd Woodbridge. The Bros. finished #1 for the sixth time, breaking the Woodies’ record for most all-time #1 finishes by a doubles team.

The legendary twins defended both their Australian Open and Wimbledon Championships, tying the Woodies with 11 Grand Slams. They also added six other titles (US Men’s Clay Court Championships Houston, Monte Carlo Masters, Madrid Open, Aegon Championships London, Erste Bank Open Vienna, Valencia Open) and finished the year #1 in the ATP rankings for the seventh time.

The dynamic duo won the Olympic Gold medal in London, defeating Michaël Llodra and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France in the final, 6–4, 7–6(7–2). This victory completed the Bryans’ career “Golden Slam” by having won all four Grand Slams during their career plus an Olympic Gold medal. Mike and Bob also claimed their 12th Grand Slam at the US Open, breaking the Open Era doubles record for most Grand Slams titles, previously held by the Woodies. Their Cincinnati Masters win was their 26^th Masters 1000 title, passing Daniel Nestor and making them the outright record-holders in ATP Masters 1000 doubles titles. They finished with their eighth #1 ranking.

Following on their US Open Championship and winning the Olympic gold medal in 2012, the most successful doubles team in history won the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon in 2013, becoming the first team to simultaneously hold all four majors and the Olympic Gold in what is referred to as a non-calendar-year Golden Slam. They reached 15 finals, claiming 11 titles, five of which were Masters 1000s victories (Indian Wells, Madrid Open, Italian Open – Rome, Cincinnati Masters, Paris Masters). The Bryans finished their record-breaking  year ranked ATP World #1 for the ninth time.

The doubles kings continued their win streak at the US Open where they won their 16th major, a record fifth US Open, and a ground-breaking 100th doubles title as a team. They are the only players to win six Masters 1000s in one season (Indian Wells, Miami Masters, Monte-Carlo Masters, Cincinnati Masters, Shanghai Masters, Paris Masters). With the Cincinnati Masters win, the Byran Bros. became the first doubles team to complete the career Golden Masters – having won all nine ATP Masters 1000s during their career. This victory also marked a new doubles record for most Masters 1000s doubles titles, with the Bryans passing Daniel Nestor with 29 Masters 1000s titles. They finished the season victorious at the ATP World Tour Finals in London, securing the year-end #1 doubles ranking for a record 10th time and record-breaking sixth consecutive year. Both prior records had been held by John McEnroe. They also extended their streak of winning at least one  major for 10 consecutive years.

Throughout his career, Mike spent an astounding 506 weeks ranked ATP World #1 through October 25, 2015, while Bob held the #1 ranking for 439 weeks. For perspective, John McEnroe ranks third with 269 weeks in the top spot. The record-breaking Bryan Bros. continued their legendary run on court capturing four Masters 1000 titles between 2015 and 2017 (Miami Open, Monte-Carlo Masters, Rome Masters, Canadian Open). In 2018, just weeks before turning 40, the twins proved that age was no obstacle to excellence, adding two more Masters 1000 trophies at the Miami Open and Monte-Carlo Masters. However, their momentum was interrupted in May, when Bob suffered a hip injury during the Madrid tournament that ultimately required surgery. With his brother sidelined, Mike turned to Jack Sock as a temporary partner. The pair clicked instantly and in their second tournament together, they stormed to the Wimbledon title. That breakthrough was followed by a second Grand Slam victory at the US Open, making them the first team since Jonas Björkman and Todd Woodbridge in 2003 to win both Wimbledon and the US Open in the same season. They capped their remarkable run with a win at the Nitto ATP Finals in London in November. Bob returned in 2019, marking the Bryan Bros. final full season on tour. They added one final historic milestone: their 39th Masters 1000 title at the Miami Open cementing their legacy as the only doubles team in history to win at least one title in 20 consecutive seasons.

The Bryan Bros. retired in 2020 as the most successful doubles team in tennis history with an unrivaled 119 ATP titles – nearly double the Woodies’ previous record of 61. Mike finished with 124 ATP doubles titles, the most of any individual in men’s tennis, while Bob finished with 119, having played slightly fewer events due to injury. As a team, the Bryan Bros. won 16 Grand Slams,  spent a record 438 weeks ranked #1, and finishing as year-end #1 a record 10 times. Mike earned the #1 ranking for 506 weeks followed by Bob with 439 weeks. They were voted Fans’ Favorite Doubles Team for 14 consecutive years since the inception of the ATP award in 2005. The Bryan Bros. completed the “Non-Calendar Year Golden Slam” and the “Career Golden Masters”, an accomplishment that has come to be known in the tennis world as the “Bryan Slam”. The Brothers competed in 466 tournaments, reaching 178 finals, claiming 119 titles, and winning over 75% of their matches. They finished with a Davis Cup record of 25 – 4 winning the 2007 Davis Cup, 2012 Olympic Gold, and powered the US on the international tennis stage for two decades. Their iconic chest bumps, synchronized play, and unwavering brotherhood left a lasting legacy on the sport. The Bryan Bros. didn’t just win, they redefined what it meant to be a team in professional tennis.