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ATPWorldTour.com looks back on an exciting second quarter of 2018

At the conclusion of the second quarter of the 2018 ATP World Tour season, there have been plenty of talking points on the doubles court with the top prizes being shared among a variety of teams. But one man, Mike Bryan, started and finished the quarter strong. Partnering brother Bob Bryan, the recently crowned World No. 1 captured the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters title in April before enjoying success, alongside countryman Jack Sock, at Wimbledon in July.

Bryan Continues Success After Brother's Injury
After clinching their 115th tour-level title as a duo at the Miami Open presented by Itau, the Bryan brothers made a seamless transition onto the European clay. The American twins overcame first-quarter frontrunners Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic to secure the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters and looked in top form as they progressed to the Mutua Madrid Open final.

Unfortunately, their winning streak came to an end in the Spanish capital as Bob Bryan was forced to retire from the championship match with a right hip injury. From there, Mike Bryan struggled for form. The 40-year-old won just one tour-level match in his next three events leading into Wimbledon, before finding his best level once again alongside Sock.

From the Round of 16 at The All England Club, the American duo survived three five-set battles in four matches to lift the title in dramatic fashion. Mike's first Grand Slam victory without his twin brother also confirmed his return to World No. 1 in the ATP Doubles Rankings on 16 July. The 40-year-old American is the oldest No. 1 in doubles history. Despite Bob's injury, the brothers remain in second position in the ATP Doubles Race to London on 4.355 points.

Marach/Pavic Still Lead the Way
After falling to the Bryans at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, Marach and Pavic suffered back-to-back quarter-final losses in Barcelona and Rome. But the Austrian-Croatian duo rediscovered their form at the right time, capturing their fourth tour-level title of the season at the Banque Eric Sturdza Geneva Open before a run to their third Grand Slam final in 11 months at Roland Garros.

Searching for their second Grand Slam trophy of the season, Marach and Pavic were unable to repeat their Australian Open heroics, losing in straight sets to Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut. Their grass-court campaign started promisingly, with a semi-final run at the Fever-Tree Championships. But, despite leading by two sets in their first-round match at Wimbledon, Marach and Pavic were stunned by Federico Delbonis and Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela in five sets. The pairing remain atop the ATP Doubles Race to London with 5,930 points.

Familiar Faces Rise in the ATP Doubles Race to London
Three teams made strong moves up the ATP Doubles Race to London standings throughout the second quarter.

Nikola Mektic and Alexander Peya soared to fourth place after an impressive clay-court stretch. Mektic and Peya captured two titles, in Marrakech and Madrid, from three tour-level finals on the red dirt.

Herbert and Mahut reached fifth position after clinching their third Grand Slam as a duo at Roland Garros. The Frenchmen beat Mektic and Peya in the semi-finals before an upset win over second-seeded Marach and Pavic in the final.

After a consistent European clay season, Raven Klaasen and Michael Venus entered peak form on grass. The Open 13 Provence titlists reached their second and third tour-level finals as a team, falling to Dominic Inglot and Franko Skugor at the Libema Open before a five-set loss to Bryan and Sock at Wimbledon.

Brits Join Winners' Circle
There were seven first-time winners in the second quarter, with four British stars lifting their first tour-level trophies on the doubles court.

Kyle Edmund and Cameron Norrie combined to win the Millennium Estoril Open and were soon joined by Luke Bambridge and Jonny O'Mara, who emerged victorious at the Nature Valley International.

There were also maiden tour-level doubles crowns for Nick Kyrgios (w/Sock) in Lyon, Tim Puetz (w/Petzschner) in Stuttgart and Marcelo Demoliner (w/Gonzalez) in Antalya. After falling short in his six tour-level doubles final appearances, Demoliner lifted his first ATP World Tour trophy in his seventh championship match.

More Stories Like This In: Second Quarter 2018 Doubles Mike Bryan

The three teams have showed success can come with sticking together
They are the anomalies; the exceptions, not the rules; the stories that stand out. Jean-Julien Rojer/Horia Tecau, Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan and Juan Sebastian Cabal/Robert Farah have all played doubles together on the ATP World Tour for at least the past five years, and even longer for the Bryans – since 1998 – and Cabal/Farah – since 2011.

Their counterparts have switched partners over the years, seeking new combinations to help them reach the top of the ATP Doubles Rankings. But the trio of teams have chosen the opposite route – one of stability, consistency and knowing the person by your side in Indian Wells in March will also be with you in Paris in November.

“A lot of times teams lose and the grass is always greener. You never point the finger at yourself, and you're always looking for a better player,” Mike Bryan told ATPWorldTour.com. “We're twins. We've been together since day 1, 40 years... We know we're sticking together.”

Bryan, Bryan

The Bryans, like the other teams, have also experienced the success that can come with such commitment: At the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters in April, they won their 38th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title.


You May Also Like: Read & Watch: Bryans Capture 38th Masters 1000 Crown
Commitment like that, though, isn't limited to partners linked by blood. Rojer/Tecau, just like the American twins, have been dedicated since day one.

“Building a team takes time. You don't get it in two, three weeks,” Tecau told ATPWorldTour.com. “For us it took a few months until we got it going and we got some titles, and we started doing well in the big tournaments... We were putting in the work, so we knew that it was going to come.”



He and Rojer agreed to work together towards the end of 2013. Tecau had finished a one-year stint with Max Mirnyi; Rojer was coming off a two-year partnership with Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi of Pakistan.

Both were keen on something more long-term. “We didn't want to be one of these teams that come in, and it doesn't work out and bail on the whole thing,” Rojer told ATPWorldTour.com.

But despite their past success, they struggled early. They made the long trip over to Australia, played four matches and won just one.

Little by little, though, they perfected their plays, and the titles – eight to be precise – followed in the first 12 months. In year two, Rojer/Tecau won Rotterdam, Wimbledon and the Nitto ATP Finals.

Rojer, however, is the first to point out that it hasn't been all smiles and hugs since they started hoisting trophies. Their different personalities – Rojer is a talker; Tecau more quiet – have clashed, and they've left the court sulking more than once.

Watch Uncovered: Rojer/Tecau Behind The Scenes


Twenty months after their 2015 Nitto ATP Finals title, from January 2016 to August 2017, Rojer/Tecau didn't win a Slam and won only one Masters 1000 title (2016 Madrid). But, at the 2017 US Open, they won their second Grand Slam title together.

“We didn't have the year that we wanted in terms of Slams and Masters [1000s]. But because we stuck together and we kept believing in the team, kept working, that's why we won in New York,” Tecau said.

rojer

Injuries, along with different personalities, can also derail teams. One player sits out while the other might be playing – and winning – with someone else. But Cabal/Farah have navigated that – and every other obstacle – together.

Last year, Farah missed two months, and Cabal, with Treat Huey, won the Abierto Mexicano de Tenis Mifel presentado por Cinemex in Los Cabos. But the idea of switching partners has never come up for the Colombians, who met when they were about 5 years old, grew up together and have played on tour together for seven years.

Watch Uncovered: Cabal/Farah Behind The Scenes


“It's just not in our mind; we're not wired that way,” Farah told ATPWorldTour.com. “When defeats come, we just work on whatever's going wrong and why we're losing to get better and win again.”

The two reached their maiden Grand Slam final in January at the Australian Open and in May, they won their first Masters 1000 title at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome.

Cabal, Farah

All three teams bemoan the frequent changes in doubles teams. They wish more squads would be like them: Focus on two, three years from now rather than staring at the past few weeks of results. Those new partnerships then might enjoy the success that can come with committing to one team.

“When we started the partnership it was like, 'Let's play together and get really good at this. Let's see how we can get ourselves to be the best team',” Tecau said.

“We didn't give ourselves a month, six months, a year – it was unlimited. And that's what we've been doing since. There's no Plan B. This is the team, and we're working to get better, all the time.”

They are the anomalies; the exceptions, not the rules; the stories that stand out. Jean-Julien Rojer/Horia Tecau, Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan and Juan Sebastian Cabal/Robert Farah have all played doubles together on the ATP World Tour for at least the past five years, and even longer for the Bryans – since 1998 – and Cabal/Farah – since 2011.

Their counterparts have switched partners over the years, seeking new combinations to help them reach the top of the ATP Doubles Rankings. But the trio of teams have chosen the opposite route – one of stability, consistency and knowing the person by your side in Indian Wells in March will also be with you in Paris in November.

“A lot of times teams lose and the grass is always greener. You never point the finger at yourself, and you're always looking for a better player,” Mike Bryan told ATPWorldTour.com. “We're twins. We've been together since day 1, 40 years... We know we're sticking together.”

Bryan, Bryan

The Bryans, like the other teams, have also experienced the success that can come with such commitment: At the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters in April, they won their 38th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title.


Commitment like that, though, isn't limited to partners linked by blood. Rojer/Tecau, just like the American twins, have been dedicated since day one.

“Building a team takes time. You don't get it in two, three weeks,” Tecau told ATPWorldTour.com. “For us it took a few months until we got it going and we got some titles, and we started doing well in the big tournaments... We were putting in the work, so we knew that it was going to come.”



He and Rojer agreed to work together towards the end of 2013. Tecau had finished a one-year stint with Max Mirnyi; Rojer was coming off a two-year partnership with Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi of Pakistan.

Both were keen on something more long-term. “We didn't want to be one of these teams that come in, and it doesn't work out and bail on the whole thing,” Rojer told ATPWorldTour.com.

But despite their past success, they struggled early. They made the long trip over to Australia, played four matches and won just one.

Little by little, though, they perfected their plays, and the titles – eight to be precise – followed in the first 12 months. In year two, Rojer/Tecau won Rotterdam, Wimbledon and the Nitto ATP Finals.

Rojer, however, is the first to point out that it hasn't been all smiles and hugs since they started hoisting trophies. Their different personalities – Rojer is a talker; Tecau more quiet – have clashed, and they've left the court sulking more than once.




Twenty months after their 2015 Nitto ATP Finals title, from January 2016 to August 2017, Rojer/Tecau didn't win a Slam and won only one Masters 1000 title (2016 Madrid). But, at the 2017 US Open, they won their second Grand Slam title together.

“We didn't have the year that we wanted in terms of Slams and Masters [1000s]. But because we stuck together and we kept believing in the team, kept working, that's why we won in New York,” Tecau said.



Injuries, along with different personalities, can also derail teams. One player sits out while the other might be playing – and winning – with someone else. But Cabal/Farah have navigated that – and every other obstacle – together.

Last year, Farah missed two months, and Cabal, with Treat Huey, won the Abierto Mexicano de Tenis Mifel presentado por Cinemex in Los Cabos. But the idea of switching partners has never come up for the Colombians, who met when they were about 5 years old, grew up together and have played on tour together for seven years.


“It's just not in our mind; we're not wired that way,” Farah told ATPWorldTour.com. “When defeats come, we just work on whatever's going wrong and why we're losing to get better and win again.”

The two reached their maiden Grand Slam final in January at the Australian Open and in May, they won their first Masters 1000 title at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome.



All three teams bemoan the frequent changes in doubles teams. They wish more squads would be like them: Focus on two, three years from now rather than staring at the past few weeks of results. Those new partnerships then might enjoy the success that can come with committing to one team.

“When we started the partnership it was like, 'Let's play together and get really good at this. Let's see how we can get ourselves to be the best team',” Tecau said.

“We didn't give ourselves a month, six months, a year – it was unlimited. And that's what we've been doing since. There's no Plan B. This is the team, and we're working to get better, all the time.”

Tale Of Two Halves: Mike Bryan Enjoys Stellar Season
Heading into their fifth tour-level final of the season at the Mutua Madrid Open, Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan had compiled a 26-6 tour-level record and looked set to challenge for the No. 1 position in the ATP Doubles Team Rankings. That soon changed as Bob Bryan was forced to retire from the championship match in the Spanish capital with a right hip injury.
That injury would keep Bob Bryan out of action for the remainder of the season, leaving brother Mike Bryan without a doubles partner. The brothers' streak of 76 consecutive Grand Slam appearances came to an end at Roland Garros. At the Fever-Tree Championships, Mike Bryan teamed up with countryman Jack Sock, reaching the quarter-finals at The Queen's Club, before lifting their maiden team title in dramatic fashion at Wimbledon.
Bryan/Sock won three of their four matches from the Round of 16 onwards in five sets, beating Raven Klaasen and Michael Venus in the championship match 6-3, 6-7(7), 6-3, 5-7, 7-5. Posting a 1-2 record at ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events in Toronto and Cincinnati, Bryan and Sock then entered the US Open short on match practice, but once again found their best level in Grand Slam play.
Bryan/Sock dropped just one set at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, in the semi-finals against Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah, en route to their second straight Grand Slam title. The American duo cruised past 2017 year-end No. 1 doubles team Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo 6-1, 6-3 in the championship match to capture the trophy.
Once more, Bryan/Sock struggled to replicate their form at Masters 1000 events, posting a 2-2 record in Shanghai and Paris before making their team debut at the Nitto ATP Finals. The Americans advanced to the semi-finals at The O2 with two wins from three round-robin clashes and beat Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares to reach their third final in eight events.
Meeting Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut, the team who defeated them in group play for the trophy, Bryan/Sock were once again forced to produce their best tennis in the English capital. They rallied from a set down and saved one championship point at 10/11 in the Match Tie-break before capping their extraordinary season with a 5-7, 6-1, 13-11 victory.
"This is how you want to start a partnership and end one. To win here is just an epic experience," said Bryan. "To finish a great year off the right way, winning here, against some of the best teams in the world... unreal memories with Jack this year. We're closing the book on our partnership because Bob is coming back. But we're always going to be great friends and hang out in the off-season. We're going to spend the off-season together training."
Marach/Pavic Finish As No. 1 Team
After ending 2017 with a victory over the Bryan brothers, as an alternate pairing at the Nitto ATP Finals, Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic continued where they left off at the start of 2018. The Austrian-Croatian duo did not drop a set en route to the title at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, beating Murray/Soares in the final to earn their second team trophy.
Marach/Pavic didn't take long to double that total, defeating Max Mirnyi and Philipp Oswald the following week in Auckland before claiming their maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. Marach/Pavic required final-set tie-breaks in both their quarter-final and semi-final clashes, before beating Cabal/Farah 6-4, 6-4 in the final to triumph in Melbourne.
Taking their 2018 winning streak to 17-0, Marach/Pavic reached the championship match at the ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament. In the final, the pair's unbeaten run was ended by Herbert/Mahut in a Match Tie-break. From there, the Australian Open champions posted consistent results throughout the following four months. Marach/Pavic reached the quarter-finals or better in each of their next nine events, winning their fourth trophy of the season at the Banque Eric Sturdza Geneva Open and finishing runner-up , with runner-up finishes at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters and Roland Garros.
Leading the ATP Doubles Race To London, Marach and Pavic also reached finals in Hamburg and Beijing before clinching the year-end No. 1 ATP Doubles Team Ranking. Marach (Austria) and Pavic (Croatia) are the first players from their respective countries to end a season at No. 1 in any of the ATP Rankings categories (singles, doubles, team).
Nestor, Mirnyi Retire
The 2018 season saw two of the greatest doubles players of all time finally hang up their racquets. Daniel Nestor, with 91 tour-level doubles titles and 10 stints at the top of the ATP Doubles Rankings, will forever be remembered on the ATP World Tour by partners and rivals for his incredible success and commitment to the sport.
With more than 15 years inside the Top 10 and almost 24 consecutive years, from April 1994 until April 2018, inside the Top 100 in doubles, Nestor continued to write his name in the history books throughout his career. On 11 January 2016, the Canadian became the first player in ATP World Tour history to record 1,000 doubles match wins. The only players who have captured more tour-level doubles titles than Nestor are the Bryan brothers — Mike with 121 and Bob with 116 — who have remained a pair throughout their careers. Nestor's 91 title runs were achieved with 11 different partners.
Nestor’s most successful partnership came alongside Mark Knowles. The pair claimed 40 tour-level doubles championships together. And while the team created countless great memories, their first Grand Slam win at the 2002 Australian Open and their second at the 2004 US Open, six years after losing two match points in the final at Flushing Meadows, stick out.
“Daniel had an incredible career," said Knowles. "He achieved everything that there is to achieve on the doubles court. He should be celebrated for his incredible success and dedication to the sport."
Nestor earned his 1,062nd and final tour-level victory at the TEB BNP Paribas Istanbul Open before retiring in September, shortly after making his 30th straight appearance in front of home fans at the Rogers Cup in Toronto.
Max Mirnyi will be remembered just as fondly for his illustrious career. 'The Beast', after 22 years as a professional and reaching No. 1 in the ATP Doubles Rankings, announced his retirement in November.
“I have come to a decision that the 2018 season was my last year competing professionally,” Mirnyi said. “It was a very difficult choice for me to make as tennis has been my life ever since I can remember myself. I was fortunate to achieve far beyond what a little boy from Minsk, Belarus, could have dreamed of.”
Mirnyi climbed to the top of the ATP Doubles Rankings for the first time on 9 June 2003, and he would spend 57 weeks atop the doubles mountain, good enough for 15th all-time. The Belarusian won 52 tour-level doubles titles (52-46), and Mirnyi recently finished his 20th consecutive doubles campaign inside the Top 100.
The six-time men’s doubles Grand Slam winner and 2012 mixed doubles Olympic gold medalist (w/ Victoria Azarenka) qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals 10 times, lifting the trophy in 2006 with Jonas Bjorkman and in 2011 with Daniel Nestor. ‘The Beast’ most recently appeared at the prestigious season finale in 2016, at 39 years old, alongside Treat Huey. Mirnyi also captured 16 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 doubles titles, including the 2003 Miami crown with Roger Federer.
Cabal/Farah Reach The Next Level
This season proved to be a breakthrough year for Cabal/Farah. The Colombian duo, who first joined forces at the Futures level in 2004 and made their tour-level main draw debut in 2011 at Wimbledon, notched 39 wins from 62 tour-level encounters to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time.
Read More: Built To Last: Bryans, Cabal/Farah, Rojer/Tecau Take The Long Road To Success
Starting the season with a maiden Grand Slam final appearance as a team at the Australian Open, Cabal and Farah did not drop a set in Melbourne before falling in the championship match to Marach and Pavic. The Colombians continued to impress, reaching their second final of the season in Buenos Aires before lifting their biggest team title at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in May. In the Italian capital, Cabal and Farah battled through three Match Tie-breaks in four matches, beating Pablo Carreno Busta and Joao Sousa to capture their maiden ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown.
Another Masters 1000 final appearance soon followed in Cincinnati (l. to Murray/Soares) before three consecutive semi-final runs at the US Open, China Open and Rolex Shanghai Masters. After reaching the last four at the Nitto ATP Finals, Cabal and Farah's season ended with a tight 3-6, 7-5, 5-10 loss to Roland Garros titlists Herbert/Mahut.
Herbert/Mahut Continue To Find Success
After consistent success in their previous three ATP World Tour campaigns, Herbert/Mahut only combined at 12 tour-level events in 2018. But that did not stop the Frenchmen from lifting titles and making history in the process.
Herbert/Mahut became the first team to overcome Marach/Pavic to clinch the ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament title in February and, three months later, faced the duo once again in the Roland Garros championship match. Bidding to capture their third Grand Slam crown, Herbert/Mahut dropped just one set en route to the final. The French pairing edged Marach/Pavic in a second-set tie-break and became just the third all-French team to lift the Roland Garros doubles title in the Open Era. Herbert/Mahut ended their season with a fourth consecutive appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals, reaching their first final at the season-ending event.

ATPTour.com reviews the first quarter's doubles storylines
1. Bryan Brothers Are Back
There was not much certainty around Bob Bryan’s comeback from a right hip replacement last August. Nobody had returned to action on the ATP Tour under the same circumstances before.
But Bob and twin Mike Bryan have picked up right where they left off, winning their 117th and 118th tour-level titles as a team, including a victory at the Miami Open presented by Itau, an ATP Masters 1000 event. “A doctor was cutting me open eight months ago and I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to make it back on court,” said Bob. “To win this title is a dream and certainly wasn’t possible eight months ago. This is huge for us.”
The brothers also reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, but fell in a tight match against eventual champions Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut. The Americans are in prime position to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for their 15th time as a pair.

2. Frenchmen Flying
Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut completed their career Grand Slam with a dream run in Melbourne. Their only other tournament of the year thus far came at the BNP Paribas Open, where the Frenchmen lost in the second round to eventual champions Nikola Mektic and Horacio Zeballos.
Herbert and Mahut currently lead the ATP Doubles Race To London with 2,090 points. They are trying to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the fifth straight year. Last season, they finished runner-up in London to Mike Bryan and Jack Sock.
Mahut, Herbert
3. Mektic/Zeballos’ Magical Run
Nikola Mektic and Horacio Zeballos had only competed together once before the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells. But it didn't take long for the Croat-Argentine team to click. After saving two match points against Herbert and Mahut in the second round, Mektic and Zeballos found their best form, eliminating four of the Top 6 seeds en route to the title.
"[It's] a little bit unreal. We're still looking at each other and just repeating, 'Did we just win?'" Mektic said.
Mektic and Zeballos' future as a tandem remains unclear, with Zeballos potentially spending more time with fellow Argentine Maximo Gonzalez. But even if they never team up again, Mektic and Zeballos produced a run fans and opponents won't soon forget.
Nikola Mektic and Horacio Zeballos celebrate winning the BNP Paribas Open
4. Ram/Salisbury A Breakthrough Pair?
The highest-placed team in the ATP Doubles Race To London that has not competed together before is American Rajeev Ram and Brit Joe Salisbury, currently in fourth. The pair spent a week together in Florida training ahead of the season — which Ram says isn't always an option for new teams — and they've been playing well every since.
Ram and Salisbury claimed their first team title in Dubai, reached the final in Brisbane, and took a set off of eventual Australian Open champions Herbert and Mahut in Melbourne.
Ram says that one of the reasons his team has enjoyed early success is that Salisbury complements him and vice versa. The American touts the 26-year-old Brit's athleticism, and at 35 he says that he brings experience and ball-striking abilities that help them mesh well.
"We've built a decent foundation and now we're just trying to refine our skills a bit more to keep improving," Ram told ATP Tennis Radio. "I think we've had good results but that doesn't mean we're going to be playing great the rest of the season or anything like that. I think we need to keep getting better."

5. Maximo’s March
Few doubles stories have been better than that of Argentine Maximo Gonzalez. At 35, Gonzalez has enjoyed his best season to date.
Gonzalez began 2019 with four ATP Tour doubles titles, with his first triumph coming more than a decade ago at Valencia in 2008 alongside Juan Monaco. But Gonzalez went on a tear in February, winning three titles in three weeks with three different partners. He won Buenos Aires with Zeballos, Rio de Janeiro with Nicolas Jarry and Sao Paulo with Federico Delbonis. The week before Buenos Aires, he made the final in Cordoba with Zeballos, so he went a stretch during which he won 14 of 15 matches.
Gonzalez's play has seen him climb to a career-high ATP Ranking of No. 28.
6. Two-time Nitto ATP Finals Champs Back On Track
Henri Kontinen and John Peers won the Nitto ATP Finals in 2016-17, but they surprisingly failed to qualify for the season finale last year, finishing the ATP Doubles Race To London in 10th place.
But the Finnish-Aussie duo showed signs of its best form immediately this season. Kontinen and Peers made the Australian Open final (l. to Herbert/Mahut) and then captured their 14th tour-level trophy as a duo in Rotterdam. The veterans are currently third in the Race.
Kontinen Peers
7. Veteran teams Battling For Race Position
Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo have booked their spots at The O2 together in each of the past two seasons, and they're making an early claim to return once again, currently sitting sixth in the Race. Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic, who were the year-end No. 1 ATP Doubles Team last year, are in eighth.
Three teams that qualified for London in 2018 that are on the outside looking in are Jamie Murray/Bruno Soares (12th), Juan Sebastian Cabal/Robert Farah (13th) and Raven Klaasen/Michael Venus (14th).

Colombian's reach top of the doubles mountain with win at SW19
To understand Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah’s journey is to know that they are more than just doubles partners. They are, figuratively at least, brothers.

So when the Colombians won their first Wimbledon trophy on Saturday, guaranteeing they would climb to the top spot in the ATP Doubles Rankings for the first time, the moment was even more special. They are not just sharing the accomplishment with a partner, but someone who is like family.

“The moment we're living right now is just crazy. We never actually won three matches here in a row. No two matches in a regular ATP tournament on grass [before this year]. Now we won two tournaments in a row and we're No. 1 in the world,” Cabal said. “What I can say?”

“What just happened?” Farah responded, cracking a smile.

<a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/juan ... view'>Juan Sebastian Cabal</a> and <a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/robe ... ew'>Robert Farah</a> lift their fourth tour-level title of the season at <a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/tournaments/ ... mbledon</a>.

To say it has been a long time coming would be an understatement. Only one other active doubles team on the ATP Tour has competed together longer, and that’s Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan, the American twins.

“We've been friends, almost brothers, since we're five. We literally grew up together. We were sponsored by Colsanitas since we were 10, 11, grew up together in a house,” Farah said. “That gives you a strong bond. Not only with Sebas but with all the other Davis Cup players: Alejandro Falla, Santiago Giraldo. And obviously Sebas and I, since I left college in 2010, we said, ‘Let's play together.’ We had played before I went to college. It worked out from the beginning. It clicked.”

View ATP Doubles Rankings

Five years ago, the pair won its first tour-level title together in Rio de Janeiro. The Colombians claimed 13 crowns as a team after that. And on Saturday, Cabal and Farah defeated Frenchmen Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin in a four-hour, 57-minute thriller to become the first Colombian players to win a Grand Slam men’s doubles title.

“We focus on our game. We have our rule: just fight until the last point. We keep fighting, keep working,” Cabal said. “Everything make sense. We're here, we won Wimbledon. It's amazing. We're No. 1.

“For Colombia, it's huge... I don't know how to explain it, but it's huge for our country. I hope everybody enjoys [it with] us.”


Cabal and Farah are coached by Jeff Coetzee, a six-time ATP Tour doubles titlist from South Africa. Under his tutelage, the Colombians qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time last season, and now, not only are they major titlists, but tied atop the ATP Doubles Rankings.

“He deserves everything. We get the credit, but actually he's the guy that changed our lives, changed our tour, changed our tennis level. He's the one that put in the work behind the scenes,” Cabal said. “He deserves equal credit or more than us because he is a life changer for us. We respect him. We give him all the credit he deserves. We're really happy life put him in our lives.”

How has this team blossomed over the past couple of years? The Colombians believe they complement each other well, and that has made them a dominant force on the ATP Tour, especially this season. In the ATP Doubles Race To London, Cabal and Farah have nearly double the number of points (5,250) as the second-placed team, Bryan/Bryan (2,690). Cabal/Farah are 34-10 in 2019 with four titles, including their second ATP Masters 1000 triumph in Rome.

“I know Sebas has the touch, has the magic in his hands,” Farah said. “I have the power. I feel like that's a very good duo. It's great to live this with your brother, your brother like from another mother. It's a cliché, but it's really what it is.”

Cabal and Farah win their second Rome doubles title on Sunday

After the journey they’ve gone on to reach this moment, perhaps it was fitting that Cabal and Farah faced the stiffest of challenges in the Wimbledon final. It’s taken nonstop hard work and dedication, and they needed every bit of resilience they could find to emerge victorious on Centre Court.

“I'm speechless. Really, I kept watching the watch through the first and second set. I'm like, we finished the second set and it's been 2 hours and 15 minutes play. This is ridiculous. How long is this?” Farah said. “From there on, we just kept battling, kept battling, just focussed on the game. Once we lost the fourth set, we had that break. We sat down, I put my legs up, I got a rub by my physio. Sebas put his legs up, too… Once we come back to the court, I seriously had a second wind. I felt so good again. I feel like we played unreal that fifth set.”

ATPTour.com reviews the second quarter's doubles storylines
1. Colombian Power
Over the past three months lifelong friends Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah have worked hard on their ascent to the summit of the ATP Doubles Rankings, setting the pace on the doubles circuit by compiling a 24-4 team record in that period to become joint No. 1s for the first time (week beginning 15 July).
The Colombians, who have known each other for almost 30 years, have captured four tour-level trophies in 2019, culminating in a four-hour, 57-minute thriller over Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin at The Championships, Wimbledon, that marked their first Grand Slam men’s doubles championship crown.
Five years on from lifting their first trophy in Rio de Janeiro, Cabal and Farah have compiled a 15-16 record in finals, which includes successes over the past few months at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell (d. Murray/Soares), their second consecutive Internazionali BNL d'Italia title (d. Klaasen/Venus) and at the Nature Valley International (d. Gonzalez/Zeballos) that set up their run at the All England Club.
You May Also Like: Cabal/Farah, Lifelong Friends, Climb To Top Of The World

2. Mike's 500 Weeks At No. 1
Mike Bryan, synonymous with spectacular returning, volleying and his record-breaking partnership with twin brother, Bob Bryan, celebrated his 500th week at No. 1 in the ATP Doubles Rankings on 26 May 2019.
“It seems like yesterday that we won Roland Garros [in 2003] and reached No. 1,” Mike Bryan told ATPTour.com. “It’s a dream to hit No. 1, but to be No. 1 for so long I owe it to this guy. We’ve been pushing each other and never really taken the foot off the gas as long as we’ve been playing. We’ve always reached for more and never been satisfied when we’ve won a tournament and set our sights on the next one. There has been sacrifice, but we love what we do.”
The feat came 15 years after he first reached the summit of the team game on 8 September 2003; and 46 weeks since returning to No. 1 for his 13th stint on 16 July 2018 - the first time since 25 October 2013. Mike Bryan continues to compete with the same passion, energy and dedication, with a record 1,129 tour-level match wins and 123 titles.
Read Tribute: Mike Celebrates 500th Week at No. 1
3. ATP Challenger Tour Stars To Grand Slam Champions
Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies have enjoyed an unprecedented rise since first joining forces in April 2018, initially plying their trade on the ATP Challenger Tour, to their first ATP Tour crown, and the biggest moment of their career at Roland Garros last month.
With ATP Challenger Tour titles in Rome, Almaty, Genova, Sibiu and Eckental on their mantle-pieces in 2018, the Germans were well-travelled before they captured their first ATP Tour crown in February this year at the New York Open, where they didn’t drop a set all week. But it wasn’t until they dipped back to the second tier, with two further crowns in Marbella and Heilbronn, that they made their Top 50 breakthroughs ahead of their debuts at the clay-court major championship in Paris.
The pair will now attempt to build on its breakthrough in order to qualify for the eight-team Nitto ATP Finals, to be held at The O2 in London from 10-17 November.
Read Feature: The Meteoric Rise Of Mies & Krawietz
4. Andy Murray Makes Welcome & Dramatic Return At The Queen’s Club
Five months on from undergoing right hip surgery, Andy Murray made a welcome return to the ATP Tour in June – not on the singles court, but in tandem with Feliciano Lopez at the Fever-Tree Championships. Having saved two set points in the opening set, the pair clinched the title with a 7-6(6), 5-7, 10-5 win over Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury.
It was Murray’s first ATP Tour doubles title since prevailing with his brother, Jamie Murray, at the 2011 Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships in Tokyo (d. Cermak/Polasek), and gave him a confidence boost for his chances of returning to singles competition, potentially later in 2019. “I felt relaxed at the beginning of the week, but felt more nervous as it went on. I think my competitive instincts started kicking in,” said Murray. “My hip has felt great, pain-free. I’ll try to keep progressing, but I am just happy to be back on the court.”
Lopez, who defeated Gilles Simon earlier in the day to clinch The Queen’s Club singles crown, was the first player since Matteo Berrettini (2018 Gstaad) to win singles and doubles titles at the same event. The Spaniard was also the first man since Mark Philippoussis (1997) to win both titles in the same year at The Queen's Club.
5. ATP Doubles Race To London Shaping Up
A little more than three months ago, Cabal and Farah could be found in 13th position on 690 points in the ATP Doubles Race To London, but today lead the quest for a spot at the Nitto ATP Finals in November on 5,250 points. The Colombians lead the second-placed Bryan twins (2,690) by 2,560 points and are already in strong contention to finish 2019 as the year-end No. 1 team (having finished second behind Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic in 2018). The Bryans have clinched two ATP Tour titles this year: their fifth Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com (d. Skupski/Skupski) and their sixth Miami Open presented by Itau (d. Koolhof/Tsitsipas).
Third-placed Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo, the 2017 finalists at the season finale, trail the Americans by only 35 points, while 2015 Nitto ATP Finals titlists Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau (sixth), this season’s Mutua Madrid Open champions, and 2016/17 winners Henri Kontinen and John Peers (seventh) are separated by just 10 points with less than four months to go until the event at The O2 in London from 10-17 November.
View ATP Doubles Race To London

Melo accomplishes the feat at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C.
Marcelo Melo made history on Monday at the Citi Open, becoming the 35th player all-time to earn 500 tour-level doubles wins. The first Brazilian to accomplish the feat in doubles, Melo partnered Lukasz Kubot past Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury 4-6, 6-3, 10-5 to reach the second round in Washington, D.C.

“It means a lot. It means I’ve been playing good for a long time,” said Melo, who did not know he was on the verge of the milestone before the match. “I’m very happy and the many people [who have been] with me all the way, for sure they’re going to be happy as well.”

You May Also Like: Learn The Secret To Kubot & Melo's Success
Melo has earned at least 25 tour-level doubles victories every year since 2008. The 35-year-old owns 32 titles with eight different partners, including 12 with Kubot.

In each of the past six years, Melo has earned a spot at the Nitto ATP Finals, qualifying four times with Croat Ivan Dodig and twice with Kubot. Melo has captured nine ATP Masters 1000 trophies, also triumphing at 2015 Roland Garros (w/Dodig) and 2017 Wimbledon (w/Kubot).

“ a lot of memories. I’ve had great partners all the way, family support,” Melo said. “I think the first time I qualified for the [Nitto ATP] Finals was huge for us. When we won the first Masters [1000] series in Shanghai as well, I was so happy. Of course I have to remember the two Grand Slam titles I have, the French Open and Wimbledon.”

Kubot Melo

Melo has no plans of stopping anytime soon, either. Thirty of the 34 players ahead of him on the all-time doubles wins list are retired, so the Brazilian will hope to climb those standings. Mike Bryan is the all-time leader with 1,138 tour-level victories.

“I don’t know if I can achieve 1,000 because I took 10 years to get to 500, but I’m so happy already to pass 500. That’s a lot of matches,” Melo said. “I’m very happy as much as I can achieve. I think I can still play for a few more years. At the point I’m still enjoying tennis, so I will continue playing.

“I need to take care of the body. All the players, we do a lot pf physio work, a lot of gym work to get the body in shape… what’s most important is to keep going healthy, to be prepared. If you’re prepared, you have a better chance to keep going longer.”

Career Tour-Level Doubles Match Wins (All-Time)

Player Wins
1. Mike Bryan 1,138
2. Bob Bryan 1,097
3. Daniel Nestor 1,062
4. Todd Woodbridge 782
5. Max Mirnyi 780
35. Marcelo Melo 500

Learn the highlights of the 2019 doubles season
Continuing our Season In Review series, ATPTour.com looks at the headlines that shaped 2019 on the doubles circuit.

Cabal/Farah Reach The Mountaintop
In 2018, Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah made their big breakthrough as a duo. The Colombians, who first partnered one another at the Futures level in 2004, earned 39 tour-level wins and qualified for their first Nitto ATP Finals.

But this season proved even better for the longtime friends and partners, becoming just the second all-South American duo to finish year-end No. 1 in the ATP Doubles Team Rankings (since 1984). In 1986, Chilean Hans Gildemeister and Ecuadorian Andres Gomez accomplished the feat.

“It’s an honour to receive this trophy, being alongside the names engraved on it,” Farah said during an on-court presentation at the Nitto ATP Finals, where the Colombians were the top seeds and reached the semi-finals. “Starting the year, it was difficult to predict we’d end it as the No. 1 team. It’s a dream come true and I’d like to thank everyone who is here for supporting us.”

Read: Cabal/Farah Presented Year-End No. 1 Trophy

Cabal and Farah captured five of their 17 tour-level titles in 2019, and they own a 3,655-point lead in the ATP Doubles Team Rankings ahead of No. 2 Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo.

Last year, Cabal and Farah won their first ATP Masters 1000 title in Rome, and they retained that trophy this season at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, and it only got better from there. The Colombians captured their first two Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon and the US Open, respectively.

<a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/juan ... view'>Juan Sebastian Cabal</a> and <a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/robe ... ew'>Robert Farah</a> exit the <a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/tournaments/ ... iew'>Nitto ATP Finals</a> at the semi-final stage for the second straight year.

Herbert/Mahut Show Their Class
Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut only competed together eight times in 2019, but they began and finished their season with a bang.

The Frenchmen completed their Career Grand Slam at the Australian Open, winning the season’s first major without losing a set from the quarter-finals on. Herbert and Mahut became the eighth men’s doubles team to lift all four Grand Slam trophies.

After losing two of their next three matches, the Frenchmen did not play together until Cincinnati, with Herbert choosing to focus on singles. He only played doubles three times between the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters and the Western & Southern Open — including Wimbledon with Andy Murray.

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It appeared that lay-off may have been detrimental to this team, with Herbert and Mahut losing in the second round in Cincinnati and the first round of the US Open. But after making the semi-finals in Vienna they found their best form, winning the Rolex Paris Masters and then the Nitto ATP Finals without dropping a set at either event.

The season finale was a special victory for the Frenchmen after letting slip a championship point against Mike Bryan and Jack Sock last year. It was the perfect ending to their 2019 campaign.

“It is pretty special [to win this trophy]. Maybe, for doubles, it is one of the toughest tournaments to win,” said Herbert. “After our story in London — we had three really tough years and last year we had a match point in the final — being able to win here is an amazing feeling.”

<a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/pier ... rre-Hugues Herbert</a> and <a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/nico ... w'>Nicolas Mahut</a> claim their third team title of 2019.

New Teams Break Through
Three teams broke through to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time together this year.

One year ago, Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies finished in 87th place in the ATP Doubles Race To London. But the Germans got off to a fast start in 2019, and they never looked back. Krawietz and Mies, who had competed mainly on the ATP Challenger Tour before 2019, won the New York Open for their first ATP Tour title, claimed their maiden Grand Slam trophy at Roland Garros and triumphed in Antwerp.

Rajeev Ram had previously qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals twice, in 2016 and 2017, but he did so then with Raven Klaasen. The American teamed with Brit Joe Salisbury for the first time this year, and the result was a 39-win season that included two ATP 500 titles and a trip to The O2. Ram and Salisbury were victorious in Dubai and Vienna, using those results to propel them into a spot at The O2.

The last of the team’s is Filip Polasek and Ivan Dodig. The Slovak-Croat team first got together in Antalya, which took place in the last week of June. Yet they clicked immediately, and pulled off a stunning run that saw them qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals. Dodig and Polasek made at least the semi-finals in eight of the 11 tournaments they played before London, triumphing in Cincinnati and Beijing while also finishing runner-up in Antalya and making the last four at Wimbledon.

<a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/raje ... ew'>Rajeev Ram</a> and <a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/joe- ... rview'>Joe Salisbury</a> own 3,490 points in the ATP Doubles Race To London.

Polasek’s Comeback
Polasek cracked the Top 10 of the ATP Doubles Rankings in November ahead of the Nitto ATP Finals. But less than 17 months earlier, the Slovak had no points at all.

That’s because when Polasek was 28, he was forced to retire due to injury, and he did not play professional tennis again for more than four years after that. Polasek had won 11 ATP Tour doubles titles and reached 13 additional finals. But a nerve issue in his back — he had loose discs in his spine — did not allow him to continue.

Read My Point: Re-Making Polasek After Five-Year Retirement

Even after retirement, Polasek still suffered from pain, so much so that coaching lower-level pros and even older juniors proved too tough of a task physically. He couldn’t even consistently play floorball recreationally. But last May, a chance meeting with Mike Bryan in Slovakia started the ball rolling on his comeback, and Polasek has not looked back since.

“If you told me that 15 months later I’d be sitting here as an ATP Masters 1000 champion, I would have told you that you’re crazy. I would never ever bet even a dollar on it. It’s been an incredible journey. But after everything I’ve been through, this is just the beginning,” Polasek wrote in a first-person essay for ATPTour.com in August.

Dodig Polasek

Bob Bryan Returns From Hip Surgery, Bros Announce 2020 Retirement
Mike Bryan finished 2018 on a high, winning Wimbledon, the US Open and the Nitto ATP Finals with Jack Sock. His brother, Bob Bryan, underwent hip surgery last August, leaving an uncertain future for the twins.

But the Bryan brothers made their return in Brisbane this year and quickly clicked into form. The Americans made the quarter-finals of the Australian Open and triumphed in Delray Beach before hitting their highest note of the season in Miami, where they captured their 39th Masters 1000 trophy together, putting them in second place in the ATP Doubles Race To London.

Read About The Bryans' Upcoming Retirement

The Bryan brothers won 35 tour-level matches together in 2019, earning their 1,100th team win in Cincinnati and qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals, but electing not to participate. They announced that 2020 will be their final season, planning to bring their historic careers to an end at the US Open. The Bryan brothers own 118 tour-level doubles titles together.