Victims of their own, unmatched, success, Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan have come under scrutiny in 2016. And that is despite being second in the Emirates ATP Doubles Race To London, with just under three months to go until the World No. 1 spot is decided at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.

But such is the level of expectation that is placed on arguably the greatest doubles team of all time, by fans, media and most importantly, themselves. Indeed, when you’ve won 16 major titles, 36 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 and finished as year-end World No. 1 team 10 times, nothing less than US Open glory and clinching year-end World No. 1 will constitute a “great” 2016 season for the Bryans.

It is the attitude and outlook that has seen the Bryans win everything there is to win in tennis. But with a bursting trophy cabinet and happy family lives beckoning, what motivates the 38-year-old California natives to keep grinding on the ATP World Tour?

Perhaps their domination of doubles is behind them – due in no small part to the strength and depth on tour now – but the Bryans are confident that they remain a force to be reckoned with as they approach the latter stages of their career.

“We still feel like we have some stuff to do. We don’t feel like our journey is over,” Bob told ATPWorldTour.com. “There are goals we want to accomplish. We still love the feeling of working hard and holding up a Grand Slam trophy. We feel like we have those moments left. We’re working hard and tinkering with stuff in our game, changing up stuff in the gym and just trying to have one last great run. We’re both very confident we can do that.”

This season has seen the Bryans lift three ATP World Tour trophies – in Houston, Barcelona and Rome – while also finishing runners-up at Roland Garros (l. to Lopez/Lopez) for the second year in a row. They go into next week’s campaign at Flushing Meadows looking to win their first major title since the 2014 US Open, which also marked their 100th tour-level team title.

“Looking back on the year there have been some highlights and some lowlights,” said Mike. “It’s been a pretty solid year. By our standards, a little bit below par. If we’d won a couple of matches here and there we could have looked back and said we’ve had a great year.

“For so many years we were dominating,” Mike continued. “If we go into a tournament and we don’t win it, then we’re disappointed. Sometimes we can get into a little bit of a negative spiral if we’re not going in and winning weeks.

“But players would die to have the year we’ve had this year. They’re wondering when the Bryans are going to get back to No. 1 and win slams again. But I think it’ll come with just enjoying the game and tinkering with a few things and I still think we have some bright spots on the horizon.”

The changes have rung off the court for the Bryans in recent years. Both are married, with Bob and wife Michelle parents to three children – Richie, the newest addition, born in October 2015. They live on separate coasts now and life has become a balancing act between tennis and family for the 38-year-old twins.

“There are more challenges of staying healthy and just the challenges of having fun and trying to find new things to work on,” said Bob. “I’m balancing a lot of stuff with my family. Our relationship has to stay healthy. We have goals and we’re working very hard to achieve them. We’re optimistic about this summer.”

But one of the most pivotal changes for the Bryans came last month, when their coaching partnership with David Macpherson came to an end after 11 years. With Macpherson taking up a position at George Washington University, the Bryans have turned to former Serbian player Dusan Vemic as their new coach, a partnership that began with a semi-final showing in Cincinnati last week.

“David’s been the rock for so many years. He’s a big loss, but we’ve got some fresh blood. We’re excited with whom we picked as our coach. Hopefully it will spark something,” said Mike.

The Bryans have always demanded the best from each other on and off the court. With two such driven individuals, arguments are inevitable, and it had been part of Macpherson’s job to separate the pair and maintain harmony in the team when things got heated after tough losses.

But while it may hurt their relationship, it is that intensity and passion that can largely be credited for the Bryans’ huge success on the ATP World Tour.

“Macca did a great job of coming in between us when we were going at it,” said Bob. “He was a great guy we could talk to, a very calming and a very positive influence. When you lose, you can sometimes think it’s the end of the world. But our coach never got into that negative mind frame. He was great at looking forward and never looking back. I think Dusan, our new coach, has that same relaxed, smart, calming influence.

“That helps us because we are very intense. We let each other have it in practice. We expect the most and the best out of each other at all times. That can be harmful on our relationship at times, because we are very tough. It’s great to have someone between us.”

Mike added, “Our competitive nature has made us great. We’re perfectionists. We want to play perfect every time we step out onto the court – make every shot and win every big point. That’s why we’ve had a high standard for so many years and we still have that high standard. That’s why it’s disappointing to lose some of these matches and tournaments. We’re working harder than ever and we’re just as hungry as ever at the ripe age of 38.”

Cue the challenge for the remainder of 2016 – usurp Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut atop the doubles rankings. The French team, champions at Wimbledon, Queen’s, Monte-Carlo, Miami and Indian Wells, lead the Bryans by 1,185 points in the year-to-date team standings. With doubles more open than it has been in years, it serves as added motivation for the Bryans to reclaim the top spot and taste more Grand Slam glory at the US Open, where they have lifted the trophy five times.

“The field is a lot more level,” said Bob. “It’s a challenge for us to try and reinvent our games and improve stuff that has fallen off a little bit. We’re up for this challenge. We would love to make a run at the end of the year and hold up the No. 1 trophy. It’s going to be tough. The French guys are playing great tennis. We’re going to have to really bring it to beat them.”

“The French guys have a good lead,” agreed Mike. “But it’s one slam away to catch them. It’s fun to have these rivalries and teams we’re butting heads with at the top. There’s a ton of teams that are great partnerships and are vying for these big titles every week. London’s going to be fun. There are 16 good teams, but only eight qualify. So it’s going to get tight there at the end of the year, but hopefully we’re in the hunt for No. 1.”

The home crowd had much to cheer about on Wednesday at US Open qualifying, with American hopefuls Jared Donaldson, Reilly Opelka, Noah Rubin and Christian Harrison leading the second round charge.

Coming off a strong result at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati, reaching the second round and taking a set off World No. 3 Stan Wawrinka, Donaldson fought past Eduardo Struvay 6-3, 6-3. The Rhode Island native is seeking to qualify at the US Open for the first time, having received a wild card in each of the past two years.

“He didn’t play with a lot of rhythm, serving and volleying a lot,” reflected Donaldson, who awaits Spain’s Jordi Samper-Montana next. “It was a little difficult to find my rhythm, but I stayed mentally tough and played the big points well. I think that was the difference. I was controlling the match. I can play with these guys and beat them, so playing some qualies matches isn’t a bad thing.”

Fellow American #NextGen star Noah Rubin raced to a 3-0 lead before opponent Yan Bai retired with a right wrist sprain, while 18-year-old Reilly Opelka rallied from a set down to upset former World No. 35 Eduoard Roger-Vasselin 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. The big-serving American, who is fresh off a breakout semi-final run at the BB&T Atlanta Open, fired 14 aces and converted three of four break chances to prevail after one hour and 58 minutes.

Meanwhile, it was a successful return to the tour-level stage for Christian Harrison, who earned his first Grand Slam qualifying victory. Harrison saved two match points in upending Aussie Luke Saville 4-6, 6-0, 7-5. It was an emotional win for the 22 year old, who has been snake bitten by a slew of injuries, including hip and shoulder, over the past few years.

Other Americans registering victories on Day Two were University of Virginia standout Ryan Shane, who rallied past Kimmer Coppejans 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, and Sekou Bangoura, turning in a 6-2, 6-1 rout of Gonzalo Lama in 58 minutes. Teenagers Stefan Kozlov and Tommy Paul weren’t as fortunate, however, suffering defeats to veterans Michael Berrer and Steve Darcis, respectively.

“It’s a win and I’ll take it when you’re out for six or seven months,” said Darcis. “It’s a good feeling to come back here and to play well. I don’t think Tommy played a great match, but I was mixing it up a lot and he didn’t like it very much. I know Tommy and he’s a good player, but he’s still has time.”

Inching closer to a Top 100 return, former World No. 44 Darcis is coming off a title at the ATP Challenger Tour event in Trnava and will face Korean teen Duckhee Lee on Thursday.

In other action, #NextGen star Karen Khachanov, seeded third, fired eight aces and converted three of six break chances to advance past Mirza Basic 6-4, 6-4 in 69 minutes. Bidding to reach his first Grand Slam main draw, the Russian will face Adrian Menendez-Maceiras next, with a potential all-NextGen clash against Rubin looming large in the final round.

Fellow Russian rising talent Andrey Rublev, 18, was upset by Serbia’s Miljan Zekic 6-7(4), 7-6(5), 6-4 in a marathon two-hour and 32-minute battle. The 28-year-old Zekic saved five of six break points faced for his first Grand Slam qualifying victory. Last month, the Belgrade native streaked to his first ATP Challenger Tour title in Todi, Italy, as a qualifier.

“It was really tough, but I was serving well, so I knew I could come back,” said Zekic. “It was just a couple points that I won that made the difference. Andrey is very good on the hard courts and I’m more of a clay-court player, so it was difficult to play against him. I felt much more pressure, because I’m older, but I’m happy to get the win.”

Former Top 50 players Radek Stepanek, Santiago Giraldo, Mischa Zverev and Go Soeda also notched wins to open their qualifying campaigns.

Richard Gasquet breezed into the quarter-finals of the Winston-Salem Open with a 6-1, 6-3 win over fellow Frenchman Stephane Robert. Gasquet saved seven break points (7/8) and broke his opponent’s serve five times in the 66-minute win.

“I’ve known Stephane for a long time now, so I know how dangerous he can be. It was a great win for me and I’m happy to be in the quarter-finals,” said Gasquet, who has yet to drop a set against his 36-year-old countryman in two FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings. “He likes to play close to the baseline. We’ve practised together often so I know his game and he knows mine. I didn’t make many mistakes today and that was the difference. It was quite humid and hot on the court, so it’s better to be able to finish in one hour.”

“It’s a great opportunity to play against top players, because you see the difference. I will learn from this match,” Robert said. “I started the match nervously, but I was playing better in the second set. Then I made some mistakes and got negative. That is something I need to manage. At this level, you have to be focused all the time and not fight against yourself.”

Next up for the top seed will be Aussie John Millman, who rallied to win 5-7, 6-0, 6-3 against wild card Bjorn Fratangelo. Millman closed out the match with authority, landing 85 per cent of first serves and only losing one point on serve in the deciding set.

“I’ve never played against [John], but I’ve seen his matches and I respect him a lot.” Gasquet said.

Yen-Hsun Lu advanced to the quarter-finals with a 6-4, 6-0 performance against Diego Schwartzman. Lu fired nine aces and did not face a break point in the 62-minute win.

“Fortunately I played really well on game points and on break points. My serve was there when I needed it and that helped me a lot today,” said Lu, who is into his fourth consecutive Winston-Salem quarter-final. “I always seem to play very relaxed, very freely here. Maybe it’s something that is missing for me in other tournaments, but I’m able to find that feeling here.”

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Winston-Salem Open – Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Top seed Richard Gasquet was on hand for the draw ceremony at the Wake Forest University campus.

Steve Johnson, the No. 1 American in the Emirates ATP Rankings, met PGA Tour golfer Rickie Fowler at the nearby Wyndham Greensboro Open.

John Millman and NextGen’s Frances Tiafoe took part in the fun activities on Kids’ Day.

Mackenzie McDonald, NCAA champion from UCLA and US Open wild card, attended the USTA Member Appreciation Day.

NextGen American Taylor Fritz met fans at the VIP Friends Reception, while Eric Butorac and Bjorn Fratangelo attended the USPTA Reception.

Butorac and partner Scott Lipsky tried something they had never done in their careers – wheelchair tennis. Read More

Roberto Bautista Agut, Yen-Hsun Lu, Paul-Henri Mathieu, Sam Querrey, Rajeev Ram Albert Ramos-Vinolas and Jiri Vesely attended autograph signings.