Bob and Mike Bryan on the legacy Serena Williams leaves in tennis
It was a night when the stars came out for Serena Williams and in the opinion of two tennis legends, it served up one of the biggest cheers of all time on Arthur Ashe Stadium court.
Former President Bill Clinton, ex-world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and actor Matt Damon were among the big names looking on as Serena started her final campaign at the US Open with a win against Danka Kovinic.
Doubles greats Bob and Mike Bryan were among that excited crowd and speaking to Tennis365 at an All Court Tennis Club event, they admitted they were blown away by the atmosphere in a sell-out crowd.
The Bryan brothers set records galore in their stunning doubles career that saw the brothers collect five US Open doubles titles before they announced their retirement last year and they admitted the noise echoing around the biggest area in tennis sent a shiver down the spines of all who were present.
“It was an amazing night,” Mike Bryan told us at an All Court Tennis Club event. “They set an attendance record, 29,000 in that place and they were going bonkers from the first point.
“The energy was like a World Series or a Super Bowl kind of atmosphere. So many celebrities in the house and it was just cool to be a part of it.
“She’s got that fighting spirit. Like she said in her interview, she never gives up and we’ve seen that throughout her whole career. She can be down match points and turn it around any time.
She’s an entertainer and we’ll miss that. There will be a little hole in tennis for a while.”
Bob Bryan admitted Williams will leave a big hole on the tennis landscape as he heads towards retirement, as he had no hesitation in placing the American icon among the game’s all-time greats.
“She has got to be one of the greatest competitors to every play,” said Bob. “She hates to lose. Every time she steps out there she finds that extra gear. Early on (against Kovinic) she hit a few doubles faults and it wasn’t looking very good, but she just kinda reached back and found that will.
“It was the loudest match I’ve ever seen and she used the energy from the crowd. She rose to the occasion. She has not been playing well, but I thought for a set and a half she played great.”
The Bryans’ association with the All Court Tennis Club highlights the rising impact of the innovative tennis club inspired by owner Adrian Calvert.
It is a global members club of passionate, amateur active tennis players, connected locally and internationally through city chapters – with exclusive access to clubs and courts, coaches and mentors, experiences and exclusive on-court events.
The tennis club provide members with access to sought-after clubs and courts in their vibrant city locations, headed by experienced and tennis-loving Ambassadors, be it in London, Singapore, New York, Bombay, Madrid, Paris, Sao Paulo or Las Vegas.
If you are a tennis fan who likes to travel and experience playing the sport in different parts of the world, the All Court Tennis Club is an essential addition to your tennis journey and applications are still being taken and for the time being are, if accepted, free.
