Despite the fact that they started playing tennis aged just 2, their parents never allowed them to compete against each other until they turned 17.
With that in mind, here are five interesting facts about the Bryan brothers:
#5 Most titles as a doubles pair:
The Bryan brothers hold the record for the most titles won in the Open Era as a doubles pairing. They have won a staggering 115 titles together and have been finalists on 55 occasions. Out of the 115, 16 of them are Grand Slams, which in itself is a record.
They also recorded their 1000th win as a team in 2016 - becoming the first doubles team to do so in the process.
#4 Bryan’s band
The American duo have a band and released a music album at the 2009 US Open named “Let it Rip”. Bob, the younger brother by two minutes, plays the keyboard and bass while Mike handles the drums.
Their favourite bands are the Counting Crows and Dave Matthews while both say their favourite actor is Edward Norton.
#3 Winning the ATP Team of the Decade (2000-2009) and Fans’ favourite 10 times
Bob and Mike have a great rapport with their fans, often signing many more than the earmarked tennis balls for the crowd after a win – they sometimes bring their own bag of balls to sign and hand out.
Some of their greatest streaks have come after heart-breaking defeats. It was during the finals of 2014 at Wimbledon that they were upset by Vasek Pospisil and Jack Sock. They were in danger of not winning a major that year but turned their fortunes around by winning their 100th title at the US Open.
One of the qualities that distinguishes the Bryan Brothers from the rest of the field is their ability to come back from defeats. They have a lot of fan following around the world and being twins adds to the chemistry as well as their aura. Winning the fan favourite team award on ten different occasions just proves the fact that they are adored by fans everywhere.
#2 Most wins ever by a doubles team
In one of the interviews, Bob says, “The only way to get over losses is to get back on the court and win matches”. They have endured defeats, especially in finals on numerous occasions but crucially come back to win many more titles following on from their frustration.
The American twins have won all the four majors twice and alongside that, have won Olympic Gold, ATP World Tour Masters 1000, ATP World Tour Finals and the Davis Cup during their illustrious careers.
They are the only doubles team to hold all Majors as well as the Olympic medal following their victory at Wimbledon back in 2013 and it’s remarkable they’ve managed such a huge haul of success considering players can often struggle on certain surfaces. Incredibly, they have managed to win at least one major every year from 2003 to 2014.
#1 Number 1 ranking for 438 weeks
There is a saying - “climbing to the top is not the most difficult thing, but staying there is”. The Bryan brothers are a perfect example of consistency - showing how it’s possible to remain at the top of their game for sustained periods of time.
As if this was insufficient, they have finished as the ATP year-ending number one doubles team a record ten times. No other team has achieved as much success in comparison, establishing their status as modern day greats in the game. As a result, they have etched their names as the greatest doubles team to ever play tennis.
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