(Reuters) – Bob and Mike Bryan, the most successful doubles pair in the history of tennis, were not on the entry list for the U.S. Open released on Wednesday, raising the prospect that the 42-year-old twins may have chosen to end their professional careers.
The Californian pair, famous for their trademark chest-bump celebration, had previously announced they would bid farewell after this year’s tournament at Flushing Meadows, scene of their Grand Slam debut in 1995.
In an interview last month after a World Tennis Tour event at the Greenbrier in West Virginia, they said they had not yet decided whether they were finished competing.
“We love this life. We had a great run if this is over,” Bob Bryan said.
“We’re gonna sit down and if we decide to come back and play in 2021, then you’ll probably see us play the U.S. Open just to keep it going.
“If we decide to shut it down in 2021, this might be it. So who knows.”
Playing almost exclusively with each other throughout their 25-year careers, the Bryans captured a professional era record 119 titles, including 16 Grand Slam wins, 39 ATP Masters 1000s and the ATP Finals title four times.
The Bryans also won Olympic gold at London 2012 and were part of the U.S. Davis Cup-winning team in 2007, the accomplishments they have said they are the most proud of.
Mike claimed two more Grand Slam titles with Jack Sock in 2018 after Bob was sidelined with a hip injury.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell)
