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Bob Bryan Discusses Davis Cup Doubles Decision In Loss To Australia

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The dream of a 2024 Davis Cup title for the United States was dashed in its opening match of the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, Spain as Australia tripped the Americans 2-1 in the quarterfinal round.

The match was decided in a decisive doubles match after Davis Cup rookie Ben Shelton played an epic opening rubber but in vain losing 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (16-14) to Thanasi Kokkinakis. Shelton had four match points in the loss, but fought off six match points for Kokkinakis before losing. Taylor Fritz then evened the match at 1-1 beating Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-4.

With many options at his disposal for the decisive doubles match – including Olympic silver medalists Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek and Olympic bronze medalists Fritz and Tommy Paul – Bryan decided on pairing Paul with Shelton, who had paired together for three matches in 2023, to face the formidable team of U.S. Open doubles champion Jordan Thompson and Olympic gold medalist Matt Ebden. The risky choice, however, did not pay off as Thompson and Ebden beat Shelton and Paul 6-4, 6-4 to advance Australia into the Davis Cup semifinals.

Following the match, Bryan, who with brother Mike comprise the greatest doubles team in the history of the sport, discussed his decision to pair Shelton with Paul in the decisive match. The following is from the U.S. Tennis Association provided post-match transcript, via ASAP Sports.

BOB BRYAN: The doubles, we have great options on this team. We have an experienced doubles team in Rajeev and Austin, and we’ve got a lot of firepower from the singles lineup. It was a matchup decision in this case, and I wouldn’t change a thing. We were hoping to catch the Aussies a little bit by surprise, but those guys rose to the occasion and served a high percentage, took care of their, you know, their shots and stepped up.

You know, I’m proud of the way we competed. You know, we could have won it this year with this team. This team has the talent and the ability. It came within an inch of getting another chance in the semis.

QUESTION: Just to kind of follow up on what you refer to as a matchup decision, could you explain a little more about why you preferred this doubles team? And when did you decide that and when did you let these two know that they’d be playing?

BOB BRYAN: Yeah, you get 15 minutes to kind of talk about it amongst the team in between the singles and the doubles match. That’s when we made the decision.

Thompson, obviously US Open champion, finals of Wimbledon, a very accomplished doubles player. Matt Ebden won the Olympics. Matt Ebden has seen Rajeev and Austin play a bunch in the last couple of years, and he hasn’t seen too much of Ben and Tommy. It was a tactical thing trying to take them by surprise. Ben was obviously on the court for three hours earlier in the day, so, you know, you find rhythm out there. Tommy, you saw what he did at the Olympics. We all respect his doubles. We took a shot at it. Those guys played tough. You know, they are one of the best doubles teams in the world right now, and they showed it today. So hats off to those guys. They performed well.

QUESTION. Last one for Bob, if I may. I think maybe some people will look at this and see you as the captain and maybe expected that you would have favored a kind of traditional doubles lineup rather than going with singles guys. Wondering if you could talk about that and maybe if you were still playing, like how you would have felt as a doubles specialist and not been picked over some singles players?

CAPTAIN BOB BRYAN: Yeah, listen, as a captain, you have to make tough decisions. You know, I had a lot of information behind the decision. You know, we have been here for six days practicing. You know, we know how everyone is feeling, and we know a lot about the opponents that we’re playing. It’s a world of analytics.  You talk amongst the other coaches. You talk with the players. Luckily my brother is here, we have Dean Goldfine, Kent Kinnear, a lot of great coaches. We get together and we make a tough decision. This wasn’t a black-and-white decision. It was razor-thin edge, you know, and we went with it. We knew it could have turned out like it did, because we’re playing a tough team. But like I said, I don’t regret anything about this.

QUESTION: Bob, you mentioned about the consultation there with coaches, et cetera. How much, as well, of the decision do you talk to the players or is it just you and kind of the coaches’ decision?

CAPTAIN BOB BRYAN: Well, in doubles you talk to the players, because some guys are comfortable playing with some guys, and there is a lot that goes in, a lot of dynamics in doubles. We all talk about it as a team. Look, Austin and Raj, they were very supportive. They were the guys on the sidelines yelling out tactics and helping with serving spots and coverages. You know, they’re in it as great teammates. And had we gotten through, we had a day off and we could have, you know, maybe thrown a different lineup on the next days, but this is the one we had today, and we’re not looking back.

To read about the Davis Cup debut of Bob Bryan and his brother Mike, click here https://a.co/d/0HnKFWc

To read more about the historic USA vs. Australia Davis Cup 100-Year Anniversary at the Longwood Cricket Club in 1999, click here https://a.co/d/hYparSj

ZHUHAI, CHINA – SEPTEMBER 14: Captain Bob Bryan of the United States reacts the 2024 Davis Cup Finals Group Stage match between Germany and the United States at Hengqin International Tennis Center on September 14, 2024 in Zhuhai, China. (Photo by Zhe Ji/Getty Images for ITF)

Americans Putting “Big Four” Tennis Stars Into Retirement

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By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

The era of the “Big Four” of pro tennis is gradually coming to an end. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray were regarded as the “Big Four” for almost two decades. Federer, Nadal and Djokovic all won more than 20 major singles titles and while Murray only won four majors, he won two Olympic gold medals and often in the semifinals and finals at Grand Slam tournaments against one of the other three contemporaries.

As Murray’s career came to a close in the quarterfinals of the men’s doubles competition at the 2024 Olympic Games at Roland Garros, one interesting observation came over me. Murray and doubles partner Dan Evans were defeated by Americans Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul 6-2, 6-4, sending Murray into retirement. Only the night before, another Big Four member Rafael Nadal, played perhaps the final match of his career, also in doubles, and was handed defeat by a pair of Americans, Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram. The American duo beat Nadal and his Spanish partner Carlos Alcaraz by the identical 6-2, 6-4 score ironically. Nadal was non-committal on his status, but it is speculated that he will no longer be an active player, especially when you saw the elongated wave goodbye that he gave to the crowd after the loss.

So at the Olympic Games, Americans have sent two of the “Big Four” into retirement.

Now, rewind to the 2022 edition of the Laver Cup competition in London, where Roger Federer made his farewell to tennis. He chose to play doubles alongside Nadal and who beat him in his career finale? A pair of Americans. It was Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock of the United States, representing Team World, defeating Federer and Nadal of Team Europe 4-6, 7-6(2), (11-9).

So there you have it, six different Americans ended the careers of three of the Big Four, all in doubles and all in international team events.

Now, what let’s see what is in store for Novak Djokovic as he soon faces his pro tennis mortality and if players from the United States can make it a clean sweep of the Big Four.