American Steve Johnson ended his 12-year career on Sunday after losing in a doubles match in the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, Calif.
Johnson and partner Tommy Paul lost a first-round match in straight sets to Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic. Johnson, 34, announced the end of his career immediately afterward.
“It’s kind of crazy to think that I’ve done this since I was 2 or 3 years old and today is the last day I’ll compete as a professional,” Johnson said. “The tennis aspect, I’m still in love with. I love competing, I love going out there and playing. Physically, I wasn’t at 100 percent or anywhere near that the last 18 months, and it took a toll on me.”
Johnson was an All-American player at Southern California and won the NCAA singles championship in back-to-back seasons (2011-12).
As a professional, he won four singles crowns and reached a high ranking of No. 21 in the world in July 2016. Johnson won two doubles titles and also earned a bronze medal in doubles in the 2016 Olympics at Rio de Janeiro when he partnered with Jack Sock.
Johnson won over $8 million in prize money.
–Field Level Media
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka withstood a second-set charge from No. 4 Coco Gauff to win 6-3, 7-6 (3) and earn her record-tying third Mutua Madrid Open title on Saturday….
Either Jack Draper will win his second ATP Masters 1000 title of the year or Casper Ruud will win the first of his career after both men advanced to the…
No. 4 seed Coco Gauff dominated No. seed Iga Swiatek of Poland 6-1, 6-1 in a mere 64 minutes in the semifinals of the Mutua Madrid Open on Thursday. Gauff…
Jack Draper, Casper Ruud advance to Madrid final
Coco Gauff storms into Madrid final to face Aryna Sabalenka
Jack Draper, Casper Ruud notch milestones with Madrid QF wins
Report: Tennis teen switches national allegiance from U.S. to Italy