Bob and Mike Bryan, arguably the best doubles team in tennis history, will return to Atlanta for the 2017 BB&T Atlanta Open. Having already announced the participation of Jack Sock and defending champion Nick Kyrgios, the tournament announced on Monday that the Bryan brothers will also headline the July 22-30 week at Atlantic Station.
The Bryans, who won the 2015 Atlanta title, own 112 ATP doubles titles together–including a record 16 Grand Slam titles. They have finished seasons No. 1 in the world 10 times (2003, 2005-07, 2009-14) and have spent 438 weeks atop the rankings. The twins and former Stanford stars are the winningest doubles team in United States Davis Cup history (24-5)–which includes a 4-0 mark en route to the 2007 title–and they captured Olympic gold at the 2012 London games to go along with a bronze-medal performance four years earlier in Beijing.
“Playing in front of packed stadium courts in 2015, we saw how passionate the Atlanta tennis fans are–in particular about doubles,” the Bryans said in a joint statement. “We won our first professional match as a team in Atlanta back in 1996 and we predict more chest bumps in July.”
Atlanta tournament director Eddie Gonzalez noted the importance of bringing the Bryan brothers back to Atlanta.
“Atlanta tennis fans know doubles, and doubles is the primary form of tennis competition in ALTA and USTA leagues around the metro area,” Gonzalez said. “There is no better showcase for the most dominant men’s team in tennis history than the BB&T Atlanta Open. We all welcome Bob and Mike back to Atlantic Station and the BB&T Atlanta Open for 2017.”
Bob and Mike are scheduled to begin their week during the afternoon session on Tuesday, July 25. In addition to the Bryans, Kyrgios, and Sock, the tournament will also welcome WTA standouts Venus Williams and Genie Bouchard. Williams and Bouchard will play a singles exhibition on Sunday evening, July 23. Tickets are on sale now at www.bbtatlantaopen.com.
Great news for all of us in the ATL….we love the Bryans!!!!