Bryan Brothers Win Fourth Consecutive Grand Slam Title
The American doubles team of twins Mike and Bob Bryan accomplished something that not even the big three of Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have done. They won the men’s doubles title at Wimbledon on Saturday, making it their fourth consecutive Grand Slam victory, earning them a complete “Golden Bryan Slam.” The Bryan Brothers defeated the team of Ivan Dodig & Marcelo Melo 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 to win the Championship, and they are the first doubles team to hold all four Grand Slam titles consecutively since 1952. The 2013 Wimbledon title is their 15th Grand Slam trophy, and at the ages of 35, they haven’t shown any signs of slowing down. The Bryan Brothers sealed their win with an ace by Bob, and in true Bryan Brothers fashion, celebrated with a jumping chest bump.
"It’s hard to even dream that we’d have the Slam, all four at one time," said Mike. "It all started back after we won the gold. It just felt like a huge pressure was released. Went on to win the (U.S.) Open and had a great summer. This year we’ve been on an amazing year. Never had a streak like this. Especially at 35, I feel like we’re hitting our peak. I didn’t think anything could feel as sweet as the gold medal, but this one just feels like there’s a cap, a lid, or a ribbon around our career.”
The Bryans now look to the next Grand Slam event, the U.S. Open in August.
"The reason why we’ve been playing so well is because we have everything," said Bob. "Everything now feels like a bonus. It just feels like we’re adding nuts and whipped cream and cherries to our great career. If we retire today, we feel like we’ve done it all."
Ken McGregor & Frank Sedgman are the only other men’s doubles team to win four Grand Slam events in a row. They won seven titles consecutively, from the 1951 Australian Open to Wimbledon in 1952.
