Quick Take: The Bryan Brothers Lose to Paes/Stepanek, Calendar Slam Dreams Die

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

No. No. No. No.

NO.

Wait. One more.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

Okay, I feel better now. A little bit. Kind of.

Words. I need to use words.

I know that there are a lot of people–some who won’t be named but who run this site with me–who don’t like the Bryans. And I can kind of get it. I mean, to each their own. They win a lot, which I admit is an attribute that I am not usually drawn to. They are a little bit in-your-face, which, again, is something that I usually find off-putting. They also always match. Which … ew.

But. I LOVE THE BRYANS. Love them. Adore.

It’s probably because I came into the hardcore tennis world as an Andy Roddick fan. Therefore, I loved the American Davis Cup team. Therefore, I was obsessed with the Bryans because of all the winning they did on said team.

But throughout the years, I began to appreciate them on their own accord. They are so dedicated to the sport. They’re really nice. They get better with age.

And, let’s face it, they brought us Micaela:



As was well-documented, they were going for history here at the US Open. They won the Australian Open, the French Open, and Wimbledon. Dating back to last year’s gold medal and US Open, it was quite a streak.

But they needed this year’s US Open to complete that all-elusive Calendar Slam, which hadn’t been done in doubles since 1951.

Well, they didn’t get it. Not only did they lose, but they lost to Paes and Stepanek, who are about as well-liked in tennis circles as the time violation rule.

They lost after being up a set. They lost after getting one break back and evening things up in the second. They lost even though they were going for history because life, well, you guys, it just isn’t fair.

And what did they do after they lost such an important match? They waved to the crowd. They signed autographs. They held their heads up high.

CLASS. (Again, not usually a plus for me.)

In all seriousness though, Paes and Stepanek played phenomenal tennis for the last half of the match, and thoroughly deserved to win. And afterwards, they were surprisingly classy in their post-match interview with BG. They were the spoilers, the villains, the underdogs–but perhaps they’re not pure evil. (Hey, I’m trying to not let my overwhelming bias consume me.)

I just wish they hadn’t done that stuuupid little dance. UGH. You know the one I’m talking about.

Truthfully, the Bryans got tight. That’s understandable.

I’m just disappointed. For them, for me, for doubles, for history, for all of it.

Still, I suppose three majors in one year, and four in row, isn’t too shabby.

Plus, they can still do this:

Anyone else love the Bryans? Or even hate them? Is anybody else sad? Let’s discuss.


Lindsay is an author, a filmmaker, a long-winded blogger, and a huge tennis fan.

7 Responses

  1. jane
    jane September 5, 2013 at 3:44 pm |

    to be honest, they could’ve lost to pospisl/nestor. nestor choked when trying to serve out the match. his serve suddenly disappeared and they lose. but they actually had it on their racquet. so i wondered, after that match, whether or not the bryans would do it.

  2. Sara
    Sara September 5, 2013 at 4:00 pm |

    Other than finding Micaela’s twitter adorable/ amusing, I honestly didn’t have an opinion on the Bryan brothers (except for when they made Nico Mahut cry. I hated them for a few days then.) It’s definitely a bummer for tennis, though.

    The funniest part of Micaela’s picture with Ferrer is by far Janowicz’s face in the background.

  3. Sabey
    Sabey September 5, 2013 at 4:49 pm |

    I appreciated the Bryans for the great job they do on the doubles court and for the positive attention they have brought to the doubles game. They are also a lot of fun to watch and I have enjoyed the doubles instructions they have done for Fuzzy Yellow Balls.
    What made me a real fan was seeing a documentary about a tennis team in the San Quentin prison. The Bryan’s showed up to play tennis with the inmates. The decency and compassion they showed towards the inmates and their shared love of the game made me see what incredibly good human being they were.

  4. dollymix
    dollymix September 5, 2013 at 5:10 pm |

    I’ve never rooted for them, partly because a) I usually don’t root for Americans as a contrarian response to the American media trying to make me, b) I usually don’t root for people who win as much as they do, c) the chest bumps and probably d) because of the high school doubles match my partner and I lost to a pair of twins. Also, I dislike the way that they are presented as the dominant narrative in doubles (i.e. it’s a story when the Bryans win a slam and it’s not when anybody else does), although I recognize that they have helped bring attention to doubles.

    That said, they seem like perfectly decent people (except for the chest bumps) and the Micaela twitter account is indeed excellent.

  5. RZ
    RZ September 5, 2013 at 5:56 pm |

    I like the Bryans though I generally don’t root for them. Perhaps it’s because I find their game more clinical and less flashy than some other players, such as Leander Paes. I’m also more than slightly fascinated by the rotating door of partners most of the top doubles players have, so in that sense there’s no interest in following the Bryans as they always have played together and will continue to do so.

    (On a side note to Lindsay, I’m sure Paes and Stepanek would have done that dance regardless of the team they beat and the circumstances. I don’t think they meant any disrespect to the Bryans. It’s just their current quirky celebration. The fact that Paes tries to match Stepanek’s shirts says a lot for how well those two guys get along – quirks, bad shirts, and all).

  6. Matt M
    Matt M September 5, 2013 at 10:04 pm |

    sad

  7. Jess
    Jess September 6, 2013 at 3:19 am |

    I like the Bryans offcourt as they seem to be good guys not rooting for them oncourt. They’re good but not magically good as Paes.

    I a fan of Step/Paes oncourt. I’ve seen Paes live once and he was only playing 50% of his usual skill (he didn’t need 100% in Bangkok tournament) and I was in awe already.

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