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U.S. OPEN

September 7, 2018

New York, NY, USA

BRYAN-SOCK/Kubot-Melo

6-3, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. I think I heard you joking about Jack letting Bob come back next year. Can you just talk about that?
MIKE BRYAN: Yeah, I think Bob is maybe the frontrunner if he gets healthy (smiling). I think he is looking forward to coming back. He's seeing kind of our good results, and he kind of sees how much I love being out here still at 40. He's itching to play next season.

You know, it's good to go out on your own terms instead of an injury, and he's super motivated. He was actually the first guy to call us on the court to talk to both of us. He's been really supportive, like, he gets so nervous that he can't watch the matches but he watches kind of the scores tick.

It's great to have a supportive brother rooting for me and Jack together as a team. So I think Bob's got first dibs, but...

JACK SOCK: I think he's earned it, yeah.

MIKE BRYAN: I might be the guy going out with injury next year, and it could be Jack and Bob (smiling).

Q. What did he say?
MIKE BRYAN: He just said, Congrats. You guys were on fire.

I think this was the best match we have played together, and we picked a good time to do it. You know, Jack hit some monstrous forehands. I think our average speed on shots was 84, and I'm hitting the ball in the 60s. Who's the guy that's bringing that up? It's Jack. He had one at 111.

So, yeah, we just did everything great today. Yeah, we came out, came out loose and firing and they all dropped.

Q. Jack, if you could describe what it was like, you have a guy sitting next to you who is part of a historic team, his brother goes down, he contacts you and says, Hey, do you want to join forces?
JACK SOCK: Yeah. Well, yeah, I mean, I played doubles at Wimbledon a few times, but obviously with my focus being singles and trying to accomplish my goal in singles, I was talking to my team and coach, especially, and I was not planning on playing doubles at Wimbledon.

But after, you know, the unfortunate injury with Bob, obviously I talked to him a little bit and I said, If there's a chance Mike contacts me, what would you say about that? I think that's a special circumstance and occasion.

My coach said, He's the one guy I'd let you play with if he calls you or texts you.

Soon after, I got the call or the text, you know, and a very quick yes from me. Seriously just an honor and a blessing to be a part of -- you know, they are the greatest team to ever play this sport in doubles, and to be able to be a part of that on the same side of the court -- I mean, I have played against them many times and seeing what that looks like is not fun. So to be on the same side with one of them and to now hold two pretty big trophies is extra special.

But it's honestly all just for Bob. I have the utmost respect for these two guys. I have known them since I was 15, 16 years old. They mentored me a little bit, taught me a lot of things.

MIKE BRYAN: Gave you some tough love?

JACK SOCK: Yeah, gave you me some tough love at times. Now it's pretty incredible we're sitting here together.

Yeah, it was unexpected to start playing Wimbledon. I wasn't planning on playing. And to now be here with these two trophies is special.

Q. To follow up on that and to sort of fold right into a chemistry whereby you guys have just taken two consecutive -- it's been a long time since somebody took Wimbledon and US Open in the same year. If you could just both comment on the chemistry of coming together and that level of accomplishment.
MIKE BRYAN: Yeah, I think it comes down to playing the big matches well. Jack is a big match player. He always plays his best. He's done it through his junior career. I don't think you have lost a Grand Slam final. So he steps up when it really matters.

When we lost in Cincinnati, he was, like, We're Grand Slam players. I'm, like, All right. Let's see what we got.

He showed it today. He just played amazing. You know, it wasn't easy early. At Wimbledon we struggled, had some long matches, down match points. I was still adjusting to the deuce court and to his style of play. He plays a different brand that I have never seen on my side before.

So now it feels comfortable, and we've had a lot of matches together and we kind of know what to expect from each other. We keep each other positive. We could have easily gone south in a lot of these matches, especially at Wimbledon and even yesterday.

So it's just a blast. I mean, from the locker room, from practices, to winning these trophies, it's just been a great ride.

Q. That wasn't only a slam final, Mike and Jack, that was a having-fun final out there for the audience and for you, too. Were you having as much fun as the audience was having out there?
JACK SOCK: Yeah. I mean, I tend to smile a lot more in doubles than singles and tend to put a lot less pressure on myself, for sure (smiling).

I think, as my coach is making fun of me back here, if I could translate that maybe over to singles and maybe have somewhat of that same mentality of playing loose and just enjoying, you know, every moment of it, then hopefully I can accomplish some of these things in singles.

But, yeah, I think Mike tends to be pretty serious out there, so I don't think he's used to me kind of joking and probably singing half the time on the changeovers and talking about escape rooms and stuff.

So, yeah, I think it helps keep him loose, but then, also, he keeps me positive at times, because I want to win, obviously, and can get down on myself here and there. I think we complement each other well in that aspect.

Q. Jack, the camera showed you on the phone after the match. Were you talking to Bob?
JACK SOCK: Yeah. He didn't call me first.

MIKE BRYAN: He called Michael Fiur, and Michael Fiur handed us the phone. Yeah, it was Bob.

JACK SOCK: He called him and then he handed me the phone just for a second.

MIKE BRYAN: It was very cool that he called us right after. I don't think he was watching the actual match. He probably turned it on when it was 5-1.

But, yeah, he's just been really supportive, just texting before every match. I have been talking to him after every match.

Q. I know family is family, but of course there is also money at stake. You don't have any temptation to say, you know, Maybe let's keep this together a little longer?
MIKE BRYAN: Play Bob in a baseline game for it?

JACK SOCK: I'm the triplet now, I think. Yeah, I don't know.

MIKE BRYAN: If Bob and I lose our first match, then we'll talk (smiling).

Q. Mike, you surpassed John Newcombe in all-time wins in doubles. Talk about that. Is that special to you?
MIKE BRYAN: Yeah, I mean, that doesn't really enter your mind when you're playing out there. You're just thinking about your routine and getting great advice from your coaches.

Luckily we had Mark Knowles and Dave Macpherson on the bag, two of the best doubles coaches and players out there. It never really enters your head, this history. You just play as hard as you can for as long as you can. If it adds up to some records, then it's very cool. But I just do it because I love it, and these are very special moments, holding these trophies.

You never know if you're going to get them, so you really savor them. It's a massive team effort. I didn't thank my parents out there, but they have been huge since day one. They really made me love the game. I get up every day, and I'm excited to go out there and try to find ways to get better and it's because of them.

Then a great trainer. I got three coaches this week (smiling). Just amazing, amazing effort by everyone. Very lucky.

Q. I just would like to ask, how was this more manageable, easier if you compare to Wimbledon title? A little bit similarity? First round you got Italian doubles. You had Skugor and Inglot. And the best of five and the best three, this was much easier? This make it easier? And on the home soil is always a difficult case.
MIKE BRYAN: Yeah, I mean, it felt like some of these matches were a hot knife through butter. I was looking at the clock, and, you know, they were under 45 minutes once or twice, and, you know, I felt like we were on the court forever.

At Wimbledon it's obviously tougher to break on grass. These matches were dragging out for four hours. I was sore for -- two months later, I'm still feeling Wimbledon.

But, you know, it's nice two out of three. We had the home crowd. I think we are energetic every point and our focus was great. When we got up, we closed matches out most of the time here.

Q. When John Isner won Miami, he commented after all the struggles he had at the start of the year, going to Indian Wells, getting out of the tournament in singles quickly but playing doubles with you, he felt that by being at the tournament till the end and having a reason to be and having practice from the doubles, it was very helpful. Can you say the same, and can you translate this into your singles going forward?
JACK SOCK: I mean, I think, for sure. Yeah, I don't know if he wanted to stick around initially for doubles at Indian Wells, so I'll take part of that Miami (smiling).

No, I think any time you're on the court, I have said this many times because I like to play doubles pretty consistently, I think any time you're on the court getting reps, you're in those situations, have the pressures, if you're fortunate enough to be playing on the weekend, on the big courts, potentially holding up trophies, I think it can only help your confidence.

Honestly I haven't done "The Isner" yet and been able to turn it around and win a Masters Series or get deep into a slam yet...

MIKE BRYAN: You did win a Masters Series in Paris. Don't forget that.

JACK SOCK: Yeah, I'm talking this year (smiling).

But I know the level I can play. I showed a lot of it last year. I think it's just going to keep taking the team effort with the guys I have around me, and they are keeping me positive, keeping me motivated. I'm doing a lot of the right things.

As long as I keep doing that, as I keep saying, it's very close, and I was happy to at least get a win here and not keep the losing streak going, so I'll take that, as well, confidence going forward and get ready for the fall.

Q. Mike, you have won a bunch of these. Jack, as an American, winning a US Open trophy, is there a significance as opposed to Wimbledon?
JACK SOCK: Yeah, 100%. I mean, I think as a kid, obviously Wimbledon has so much history and all the slams are amazing, but, I mean, as a kid, as an American, there is nothing you want to win more, in front of a home crowd and on your home soil.

I started with a taste of it in 2010 winning the juniors and winning the mixed the next year and now the doubles, so if all goes according to plan, maybe I'll add the singles at some point and get all four of them.

Yeah, it's always extra special. I mean, making fourth round in singles here was, you know, one of the highlights even so far, you know, as much as winning tournaments outside of the country and stuff. Just playing in front of your home crowd, there is really nothing better.

I take huge pride in being an American and representing the States in any way I can, so, yeah, it's always a blast.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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U.S. OPEN

September 7, 2018

Mike Bryan

Jack Sock