Steve Johnson is a former American professional tennis player who competed on the ATP Tour between 2012 and 2024.
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Date of Birth: |
24 December 1989 |
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Birthplace: |
Orange, California, United States |
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Residence: |
Redondo Beach, California, United States |
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Height: |
6'2" (188 cm) |
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Weight: |
190 lbs (86 kg) |
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Plays: |
Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
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Turned Pro: |
2012 |
Steve Johnson was born in Orange, California, United States, on December 24, 1989. His parents are Emma and Steve Johsono senior. Johnson started playing tennis at two years old and his father coached him until 2017. As a child, Johnson regularly attended Indian Wells and was inspired to make a career in tennis.
Johnson excelled at junior tennis and won US Sectional divisions at the under 12s, 14s, and 16s. After graduating from high school, Johnson studied at the University of Southern California. Here, the American player won 2009-12 NCAA team titles and he won 72 consecutive singles matches.
During his high school and college years, Johnson competed in several Futures-level competitions. In 2011, he reached three finals and won two. 2011 proved to be a strong season for Johnson. He played at the 2011 Indian Wells and also competed at the Farmers Classic and the Western & Southern Open. To cap a breakthrough year, Johnson made his Grand Slam debut at the US Open but lost in round one.
In 2012, Johnson continued to compete in US-based events. He won his first-ever ATP main draw match at the Atlanta Open and also entered the US Open as a wildcard. The American performed well at Flushing Meadows with a third-round run.
Johnson was an ATP regular in 2013 and he made the main draws at all four Grand Slams for the first time. However, he couldn’t progress past the first round at any of the majors. The American made a strong start to 2014, reaching the Heineken Open quarter-final and the Delray Beach Open semi-finals. In addition, he won his first-ever ATP clay singles match at the 2014 Roland Garros before notching his maiden grass-court victory at the Halle Open.
Growing in confidence, Johnson had a positive 2015 season. He started with third-round runs at the Australian Open and Indian Wells and did well in the clay season too. Here, Johnson made round two at the Madrid Open and the third round at the French Open. To cap a fairly consistent season, Johnson reached his first-ever ATP event final at the Vienna Open but lost against David Ferrer. Thanks to his improving form, Johnson finished 2015 ranked 32 in the world.
Again, Johnson made round three at the Australian Open to start 2016. He followed this run up with third-round appearances at Indian Wells and the Miami Open. A disappointing clay season followed before Johnson improved for the 2016 grass-court campaign.
In June, he won his first-ever ATP title at the Nottingham Open, defeating Pablo Cuevas. He then progressed to the fourth round at Wimbledon but lost against Roger Federer. The American finished 2016 well with his first quarter-final run at the Masters level at the Cincinnati Open.
In addition, Johnson progressed to the Olympics quarter-finals in Brazil. However, he lost to eventual winner Andy Murray. Johnson was consistent again in 2017 and progressed to round three at two majors and two Masters level events. Moreover, the American won his second career title at the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships.
In 2018, Johnson successfully defended his U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships title and won the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships in July. Johnson reached a third 2018 final at the Winston-Salem Open but lost against Daniil Medvedev.
Throughout 2019 and 2020, Johnson struggled for form at the major competitions. His best Grand Slam run in these seasons came at the 2019 French Open, where he made round three. However, Johnson showed quality at Challenger level in 2020, winning titles at the Bendigo Challenger and the Indian Wells Challenger.
Johnson responded with some improved form in 2021 and 2022. Here, the American progressed to the third rounds at the Roland Garros (2021) and Wimbledon in 2022. Yet, continuous struggles for consistent form saw Johnson drop out of the ATP’s Top 100 late in 2022.
After struggling to progress past qualifying rounds at the 2023 French Open and Wimbledon and at other competitions, Johnson continued to fall in the rankings. In 2024, Johnson announced that he would retire after Indian Wells, where he lost in the first round of qualifying.
