American brothers Bob and Mike Bryan first made their Wimbledon Main Draw debut in 1999. 16 years, an Olympic gold medal and 16 Grand Slam titles later the twins are still going strong. Wimbledon.com finds out what makes them tick.
You won the Wimbledon men’s doubles event in 2006, 2011 and 2013. Can you remember your first match at SW19?
Mike: It was against a British wild card pair and I remember Lee Childs hit a forehand that hit Bob in the head. We won that match in straight sets and then beat the No.2 seeds. In the next round we had a three-day match where we lost 10-8 in the fifth. It was a memorable rain delay. This was before the Millennium Buildings were in there. I remember the locker rooms that were by the old No.2 Court.
How has your life changed since your first Main Draw outing on the SW19 lawns?
Bob: We’re not going to the Dog and Fox [a pub in Wimbledon Village] any more – that’s the big change. Also, we used to share a room in Southfields. Our parents would travel with us and we’d get a little two-bedroom place and all cram in there with our girlfriends and everything. Now it’s a little bit cushier.
How?
Bob: I stay in Chelsea and now travel with my wife Michelle, two kids [Micaela, three, and Bobby Junior, one] and a nanny. Mike stays with his wife Lucille in Wimbledon. Before we were married we lived together.
We have a routine that works and we stick to it.
What’s the most challenging thing about being a father?
Bob: The sleep deprivation and always trying to figure out the bed situation. Our little daughter doesn’t like to sleep on her own, she likes to sleep in between. With all the travel we haven’t been able to train her properly so she’s in the middle of the bed. We have a little mattress on the floor, she’s down there for a little bit but then she’s bouncing back and forth. Our son needs to sleep in a very dark, quiet room by himself or he wakes up. He’s very sensitive.
What’s the secret of your longevity as a doubles team?
Bob: We have a routine that works and we stick to it. We always take the week off before Wimbledon and hit the gym pretty hard to work on our cardio to get used to the three out of five sets, which is different than any other tournament.
Mike: It’s basically an all-day affair. We’re in the gym a couple of times a day, practise, have a massage, and there’s lots stretching. We’ve figured out what work for us at this age - 37. We’ve done it so many times, we have our routines down. We have the same locker room - number one, every time and we know all the locker room attendants well.
When you walk in The Grounds it’s just so beautiful.
Aside from tennis, what else do you do when you’re in London?
Mike: We always try to see a show every time we go here, we always see one concert then we have the same restaurants we like to hit. In Chelsea we go to the Fulham Road, there’s a bunch of good spots there.
How do you relax?
Mike: We love music. I have a guitar with me and Bob’s got a piano at his place, when we’re together we jam.
Are you superstitious?
Bob: Yes. I shower in the same cubicle every time. The showers are so good at Wimbledon.
Why do you love Wimbledon?
Mike: When you walk in The Grounds it’s just so beautiful. I saw a guy scrubbing a wall. He was taking his time to make sure there was no dust on it. The attention to detail is amazing.
Bob: Then there’s the flowers. Just walking on the grass puts you in a good frame of mind and seeing how beautiful it is. This is the most historic event, our mum played here in the late 60s. It’s nice to be out here doing what she did.
Who would you invite to your ultimate dinner party?
Mike: I’d probably invite Kobe Bryant, we’re big fans of the Lakers, and all the Maroon 5 guys. Maybe Barack Obama, he seems like a good guy, down to earth.
Bob: Tiger Woods and Justin Timberlake. He has a lot going for him.
What alternative career path would you have chosen?
Bob: A rock star, they’ve got a good gig. It doesn’t seem like they lose very often. They just go on stage and win.
Mike: I agree
