On the women’s tennis tour, it’s extremely difficult to define which partnership is the greatest of all time. But on the ATP tour there aren’t as many contenders for the honour. Jonas Bjorkman and Max Mirnyi have been tough competitors over the years, but who exactly is the greatest doubles team on the ATP Tour?

The Bryan brothers, Bob and Mike, have been the leading force on the doubles tour since 2001. But even early on in their junior careers, the Bryans showed the tennis world just how tough they were. While some partnerships struggle in the beginning, the Bryans made the conversion with ease.

Together they have triumphed on 44 occasions. Just as outstanding is the fact that they have been able to complete a career Grand Slam together in doubles. And, just as important, the brothers claimed the Tennis Masters Cup in two consecutive years.

They have proved that they perform at their best on hard-courts, but they have been equally successful on clay, grass, and carpet. With 26 hard, seven clay, seven grass, and four carpet trophies there is no denying that they are the masters.

They are currently ranked No.1 in the doubles world, a position they have held for a few seasons. Astonishingly, they  continue to grow stronger as hey get older. Last year was by far their most successful, claiming an outstanding 11 titles, including the Australian Open. Previously their best season was in 2004 and 2006 with seven titles.

It would be hard to argue against the Bryan brothers, and dispute that they aren’t a great team. It may be true that they have failed to claim a title so far in 2008, but they have contested four finals already.