Bryan twins plan to retire after 2020 U.S. Open

“I think we’d go out together,” Mike Bryan told Tennis magazine in 2016, when asked about his brother and fellow doubles savant, Bob. “We’ve got a special bond.”

On Wednesday, the most successful doubles team in tennis history, and two of the most decorated American players ever, made a joint statement on Tennis Channel: 2020 will be their final year on tour.

“We wanted to see if we wanted to keep going,” Mike announced on Tennis Channel Live, “and we’ve decided that 2020, at the [U.S.] Open, we’re going to shut it down.

“One more season — and we’re excited for it.”

The 41-year-old identical twins from Camarillo reached three finals in 2019 and won the prestigious Miami Open. As recently as July, Mike was ranked No. 1 in the ATP doubles rankings.

The U.S. Open was the tournament where the Bryans began their career in 1995. In the 24 years since, they’ve set nearly every significant doubles record, often obliterating previous marks. They have established standards of longevity and prosperity that may never be matched again. As a team, Bob and Mike have not finished outside of the year-end top 10 since 2000. They’ve won a record 16 Grand Slam doubles titles together, and over 1,100 matches, with a career winning percentage exceeding 75%.

Rafael Nadal saved match point at 5-1 down with a perfect drop shot and then rallied to beat Daniil Medvedev 6-7 (3), 6-3, 7-6 (4), keeping alive his chances of advancing from the group stage at the ATP Finals in London.

The win gives Nadal a 1-1 record after two round-robin matches, while Medvedev fell to 0-2.

In the late match, Stefanos Tsitsipas beat defending champion Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-2 for his second straight win, a result that guarantees him a place in the semifinals.