The United States Davis Cup team will be headed by a big chest-bumping booster.
Bob Bryan has been U.S. Davis Cup captain, the USTA announced today. Bob Bryan, who succeeds former Davis Cup teammate Mardy Fish, assumes the role immediately and will make his debut as full-time captain with the U.S. squad’s Group Stage Finals matches September 12-17th.
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It's a natural transition for Bob Bryan, who partnered twin brother Mike Bryan to a highly successful Davis Cup doubles career.
Bob Bryan competed in 31 ties for the U.S. Davis Cup Team from 2003-20 and was part of the U.S. team that included Andy Roddick and James Blake that won its record 32nd Davis Cup title in 2007 in Portland. Bryan also served in a coaching role under Fish and coach David Nainkin during the U.S. team's qualifying victory over Colombia in March.
“I am extremely honored and humbled for this opportunity to captain the United States Davis Cup team," Bryan said. "I have been inspired watching these young American players continue to rise and I am motivated to contribute to this positive momentum.
“I feel grateful to have represented my country in Davis Cup. These experiences have offered me my proudest moments on the court and my most unforgettable memories. Playing Davis Cup was a dream for me as a young junior and the goal of making the team pushed me while I played on tour. I am passionately looking forward to working with the players, their coaches, teams, and the USTA support staff in our mission to bring the Cup back to the United States.”
Bob and brother Mike Bryan posted a 25-5 together in Davis Cup doubles matches for the U.S., setting records for team doubles wins and years played (15) and landing high on the team records list in many other categories. Bryan was also closely involved with the team as a coach in 2022. He assisted captain Mardy Fish and coach David Nainkin for the team’s Qualifying victory a year ago and served as acting captain of the team in its Group Stage Finals ties, guiding the U.S. to a 2-1 record and Final 8 qualification.
As captain, the USTA says "Bryan will also have an active, year-round role with USTA Player and Coach Development, traveling to tournaments and camps to support American players and serving as a mentor for American pros and juniors."
“Few players in the history of the game have personified a champion the way Bob Bryan has,” said Brian Hainline, Chairman of the Board and President, USTA. “Bob’s consistent and long-term success at the highest levels, as well as his demonstrated leadership in a team environment, make him an ideal captain for the Davis Cup Team amid such an exciting era for American men’s tennis.”
The U.S. team defeated Uzbekistan in February with Nainkin as interim captain to qualify for the Group Stage of the 2023 Finals, which will feature four groups of four nations each competing at four different locations worldwide. The top two finishers of each group will advance to the Final 8 stage, which will crown this year’s champion November 21-26 in Malaga, Spain.
The Bryan brothers played their last professional match in the 2020 Davis Cup Qualifiers before retiring.
Together they won a team-record 16 Grand Slams and 119 titles, spent 438 weeks as co-No. 1s and won Olympic Gold at the 2012 London Olympics.
Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve