As you may have seen, Thanasi Kokkinakos & Nick Kyrgios have taken the men’s double tennis world by storm. The “Special K’s” have made doubles tennis somewhat of a main event, putting it back on the map. As they advance into the final, we look back on some of the best doubles pairings in tennis history:
The Woodies
Australian duo Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde are arguably the one of most successful doubles duo in Aussie tennis history. Throughout the 1990-2000 era, the pair dominated their competition. Winning 11 grand slam tournaments and picking up a gold medal at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics, they were unstoppable. In 2010, their legendary status was recognized and inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame.
The Bryan Brothers
This duo aren’t your ordinary doubles players, they are a particularly unique pair because they are in fact twins. Sharing time in the womb has given the American born brothers the ultimate competitive advantage. The twins in play were not so identical; with Bob being left-handed and Mike being right-handed. This was a recipe for success however, with them winning a record sixteen grand slams, one gold and two bronze medals. The twins at the height of their career held the world no. 1 ranking in doubles for 438 weeks. In 2020, the brothers retired after a wildly successful dual career.
John McEnroe & Peter Fleming
In the late 1970s – mid 1980’s McEnroe and Fleming were a match made in tennis heaven, with them winning four Wimbledon titles and three US Open titles. What made them so successful as doubles partners was their elite combination of abilities, such as Flemings six-foot structure and right handed back hands. McEnroe was famous for his powerful serves and volleys. The pair may have called it quits in 1986, but their doubles success will remain legendary for years to come.
Serena Williams & Venus Williams
These famous sister’s need to introduction, with them both having wildly successful single’s careers. The eldest sibling, Venus has won forty-nine Women’s single titles and her younger sister Serena winning seventy-two. The pair first teamed up in 1997, winning a total of twenty-two titles (fourteen being grand slams) and have also won three Olympic gold together. The sister’s were so dominant that they have never lost a grand slam final together. It’s fair to say that the William’s sisters have indefinitely reached goat status.
Anna Kournikova & Martina Hingis
Anyone that watched tennis in the early 2000’s will be familiar with Anna Kournikova & Martina Hingis, or as they called themselves “The Spice Girls”. The pair went off to win two grand slams and came runners up three times. The pair were not only crowd favourites for their elite tennis abilities, but also their stunning good looks. So much so, that Anna was named the sexiest woman alive in 2002 and was also the most googled woman in the world. I think it’s fair to say that these women brought some excitement back into women’s double tennis!
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