'A taste of that magic': Bryan brothers cherish return to The Ojai Tennis Tournament
Bob and Mike Bryan returned to The Ojai Tennis Tournament this weekend to be toasted as Tournament Honorees.
The most successful doubles team in tennis history were in the spotlight as guests of honor during a sold-out fundraising event Friday night at Ojai Valley Museum.
But the twins from Camarillo, who celebrate their 46th birthday Sunday, were most looking forward to handing down the weekend’s subtle joys to the next generation.
“I’m excited to bring my family back to the West Coast, but also give my kids a taste of that magic that is Ojai,” Bob Bryan told The Star earlier this week.
“Mike and I were inspired by going there with our parents when we were little kids, seeing the stars of the Pac-10. … Playing hide and go seek around the grounds, studying the boards of past champions, filling our tummies with free orange juice and cookies.”
Bob’s 12-year-old daughter Micaela will get the full Ojai experience. She played her opening match in the Girls Under-14 tournament Friday morning at Nordhoff High.
“So she’s going to experience it for the first time,” Bob said.
Inducted into the ITA Hall of Fame last year, the Bryans retired in 2020 having won 16 Grand Slam doubles titles together, as well as a record 119 ATP titles, a Davis Cup in 2007, Olympic gold in 2012, and 1,107 total matches.
They achieved the “Golden Slam” in 2012 and 2013 by following Olympic gold in London by winning the next four major championships.
It all started at The Ojai, where the Bryans won five doubles titles in the 1990s, including the Boys’ Under-16s in 1993 and 1994 and the Boys CIF interscholastic in 1995 and 1996 as Rio Mesa High students.
“Just great memories.” Bob said. “I remember seeing myself on the cover of the VC Star. It was one of those surreal experiences, to go from the little boy playing in the creek to holding up that Pac-10 trophy.”
At one point, they won 116 straight games at the event.
“We can’t believe we won that many games in a row,” Bob said.
Bob also surprised himself by winning the Pac-10 singles title as a Stanford freshman. The brothers then won the Pacific-10 doubles title as sophomores in 1998.
“That was the last match we played in that tournament,” Bob said.
Bob was looking forward to taking his family to root on alma mater Stanford, which is coached by his former Stanford teammate Paul Goldstein, in the Pac-12 Conference event. The brothers also hosted a youth clinic Saturday.
End of an era
With the football-driven dissolution of the Pac-12 — sending USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington to the Big Ten, Arizona, Arizona State and Utah to the Big 12, and Stanford and Cal to the Atlantic Coast Conference — this year’s tournament is the end of a long era for the event.
Pac-8, then Pac-10, then Pac-12 schools have competed for the Thacher Cup at The Ojai for more than 70 years.
“The loss of the Pac-12 has given The Ojai Tennis Tournament a chance to pause and reflect on the many great years of memories that have taken place in storied Libbey Park,” Ojai Valley Tennis Club board president Carolyn Burke told The Star in a statement. “But it has also allowed us time to look to the future and explore opportunities we have to create many more memorable Ojai tennis tournaments in the future.”
Bob Bryan would like to see the tournament find a way to keep the tradition of elite collegiate tennis alive.
“I would love to see them continue the tradition somehow,” Bob said. “Make it an invitational where they invite these historic programs to compete. Make it a special tournament. It has too much history to let it go.
“I think it inspires young kids in the area. It definitely inspired us. You’d hate to see that be lost.”
The Ojai Valley Tennis Club board has plenty of options available, including replacing the Pac-12 with another West Coast-based conference like the West Coast Conference or Big West Conference, or creating an invitational event.
Burke said the club has created a committee that is in discussions “with several other (Division I) conferences” to replace the Pac-12 championships at The Ojai.
“While we are saddened to see the end of an era and the discontinuation of the Pac-12 Conference championships, we are also excited for what the future holds for our tradition-rich tournament,” Burke said. “Our goal is to continue top-level collegiate play at The Ojai for many years to come.”
The right time
The Bryans ended their 22-year professional career in August 2020, announcing their retirement during the throes of the pandemic.
“It was a perfect way to go out for us,” Bob said. “It made the decision easy, not having the fans involved in the tournament. One of the reasons we were playing out that last tournament was to say goodbye to the fans.”
They are now both enjoying the slower pace of retirement. They both live in south Florida — Bob in Miami, Mike in Tampa — with their families.
“It was the right time,” Bob said. “We both don’t miss it. I think we got it out of our system. We did it for 23 years. We’re not jealous of current players or bitter at anything. We’re just very at peace with the way it went and both very busy with our families.”
Bob makes sure to stay in shape, working out in the morning before driving the kids to school.
All three of Bob’s children — Micaela, 12, Bobby, 10, and Richie, 8 — are taking a familiar path.
“All three of my kids are playing tennis tournaments,” Bryan said. “They’re all in music lessons, which is really fun for me. We have a big music room at our house.”
There are still official duties. Bob and Mike still play in Legends events. They will serve as captains of the U.S. Olympic team in Paris this summer.
Bob was appointed captain of the U.S. Davis Cup team last year, succeeding Mardy Fish.
“I have to go to six tournaments a year to support the guys and … keep an eye on the guys,” he said.
He bringing his family to Wimbledon and attending the French Open in an official capacity, planning for the group stage of the Davis Cup in China this September.
“I’m going to go to the French Open for a week to sit down and talk about this next Davis Cup match,” he said.
Joe Curley is a staff writer for The Star. He can be reached at joe.curley@vcstar.com. For more coverage, follow @vcsjoecurley on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Bryan brothers cherish return to The Ojai Tennis Tournament