WASHINGTON: American twins Bob and Mike Bryan have announced retirement from tennis, thus ending their historic doubles partnership just days ahead of the US Open, scene of their major championship debut in 1995.
As the most accomplished team in doubles history, the Bryan brothers captured a record 119 trophies, including all four Grand Slams, all nine ATP Masters and Olympic gold medals, reports Xinhua news agency.
The Bryans, who collected 16 Grand Slam championships together, already said last year that they would end their career in 2020.
"We feel it's the right time to walk away," said Mike Bryan, the older of the twins by two minutes on Thursday. "We've given over 20 years to the tour, and we are now looking forward to the next chapter of our lives. We feel very blessed to have been able to play the game of doubles for so long."
"We're most proud of the way we devoted ourselves completely to the game and gave our full effort every day," said Bob Bryan.
"Our loyalty towards 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."
The US Open is to start on Monday.