Tennis twins Bob and Mike Bryan continue to dazzle with career achievements that will look just right on the first page of any sports record book for a long time to come. This week the duo was again named men’s world champions in doubles tennis by the International Tennis Federation–that’s 9 out of the last 10 years. They long ago arrived at the level where the only reasonable response to their accomplishment is awe. The twins belong in the company of DiMaggio’s 56-game hit streak, Ted Williams’ .406 average, Chamberlain’s 100 points. They belong with gold-swathed superfreak Michael Phelps, with the inimitable Edwin Moses (who didn’t lose for nine years!), and–in their own bailiwick–the great record-wrecking tennis giant Martina Navratilova.
What have the brothers Bryan accomplished? They have won more games, sets, matches, tournaments, and grand slams than any other team in history. They have won 82 titles and been ranked #1 for a total of 300 weeks. They’ve won 20 Davis Cup World Group matches, plus Olympic Gold. They’ve won a total of 778 matches as a professional team, nearly twice as many as the Miami Dolphins franchise in its entire history. (Though the 14-0 1972 Dolphins belong in that earlier conversation!) Still in strong form, the Bryans should continue to decimate the record books. By the time they’re done, they may be at the very top of the list.