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Reuters
Reuters
Sport

Bryan brothers announce retirement days ahead of U.S. Open

FILE PHOTO: Bob Bryan (L) and his brother Mike Bryan of the U.S. kiss their trophy after they defeated Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez of Spain in their men's doubles final at the 2014 U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York, September 7, 2014. REUTERS/Adam Hunger

Bob and Mike Bryan, the most successful men's doubles team in the history of tennis, are bringing the curtain down on their 22-year professional careers days ahead of the U.S. Open, the site of their major debut in 1995, the ATP said on Thursday.

The Bryans, 42, captured a professional era record 119 titles together, including 16 Grand Slams, 39 ATP Masters 1000s and the ATP Finals title four times.

"We feel it's the right time to walk away," said Mike. "We've given over 20 years to the Tour, and we are now looking forward to the next chapter of our lives.

FILE PHOTO: Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne, Australia, January 14, 2018. Twin brothers Bob and Mike Bryan of the U.S. arrive for an official players' event ahead of the Australian Open tennis tournament. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo

"We feel blessed to have been able to play the game of doubles for so long. We are grateful to have had the opportunities in the beginning of the year to play and say our goodbyes to the fans."

The Californian pair were the top-ranked doubles team in the world for 438 weeks and became the first team to clinch a Career Golden Masters in 2014 with their Shanghai triumph which meant they had won all nine ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments.

They also won Olympic gold at London 2012 and were part of the U.S. Davis Cup-winning team in 2007.

FILE PHOTO: Bob Bryan (L) and his brother Mike Bryan of the U.S. reach for the ball while playing Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez of Spain during their men's doubles final match at the 2014 U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York, September 7, 2014. REUTERS/Adam Hunger/File Photo

"We're most proud of the way we devoted ourselves completely to the game," said Bob. "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."

Mike claimed two more Grand Slam titles with Jack Sock in 2018 after his brother was sidelined with a hip injury.

FILE PHOTO: Brothers Bob Bryan (R) and Mike Bryan of the U.S. hold their country's flag as they stand with their gold medals during the presentation ceremony after they defeated France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Michael Llodra in the men's doubles tennis final match at the All England Lawn Tennis Club during the London 2012 Olympic Games August 4, 2012. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth/File Photo

The Bryans will exit on a winning note, having lifted the Delray Beach Open title in February before the season was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

They finish their careers with a 1,108-359 team record.

(Reporting by Arvind Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford and Ken Ferris)

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