PARIS (AP) - Mike Bryan panicked a bit, understandably, when he received a phone call about the burglar alarm sounding at his home back in the U.S. while he was at the French Open.
"The first thing I thought about is: 'Where's the gold medal? I don't think my wife hid it in the sock drawer,'" half of the most successful doubles team in tennis history recounted with a laugh. "And it was still there. Thank God. If the house burned down, I'd probably try to save some pictures, but otherwise, the gold is the first thing you'd run for. Can't replace that."
For all of his duo's records - 16 Grand Slam doubles championships, more than 100 tournament titles, more than 435 weeks at No. 1 - there is nothing Bryan cherishes more than the gold medal he and twin brother Bob won at the 2012 London Olympics. Which is why he would never miss a chance for a medal, something six of the top 25 men in the ATP singles rankings will do by sitting out the Rio de Janeiro Games.
"It's playing for your country. It's playing for the glory of the Olympics," Bryan said. "I'm a little surprised there are some big names skipping it."
He wasn't talking about two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry or Rory McIlroy, the four-time major golf champion who announced Wednesday he wouldn't go to Rio because of concerns about the Zika virus.
No one of their level of stardom withdrew from the Olympic tennis event, but there is a growing group of absentees, including Dominic Thiem, a 19-year-old rising star from Austria who is ranked No. 8, reached his first major semifinal at Roland Garros this month, and beat Roger Federer on grass just last week. Also staying away: the top American man, John Isner, who is ranked 17th; Australia's two best players, No. 18 Nick Kyrgios and No. 19 Bernard Tomic; No. 21 Feliciano Lopez of Spain; and No. 24 Kevin Anderson of South Africa.
"I would say (it's been) 70 to 80 percent, probably, negative feedback I have received. The other 20 percent recognized my feelings on it," said Isner, who competed at the 2012 Games. "I have been told (it's) 'unpatriotic.'"
Noting the field isn't finalized, WTA CEO Steve Simon said Wednesday he is not aware of any female tennis players pulling out of Rio.
"We haven't heard it yet," Simon said. "To be open and honest, we could hear that from some players."
Isner wants tennis players to earn ranking points at the Olympics; indeed, he thought the points offered in London four years ago weren't enough. Novak Djokovic and others agreed.