John Millman’s playing career will come to an end in 2024 at the Australian Open. Today, the 34-year-old revealed his choice, saying that unfortunately, aging has caught the best of him. Before calling it a day at the Australian Open, Millman will play for Australia in the United Cup this summer.
The athlete from Brisbane wants to be known as someone who just had a chance. He intends to attend college the following year. In 2018, not long after shocking world No. 2 Roger Federer to make it to the US Open quarterfinals, Millman reached a career-high singles ranking of No. 33. Millman had made thirty major appearances, and that was his best Grand Slam performance.
Millman announced this development in a recent interview and said: “The body’s really broken down. It’s been a fantastic career, but I’m ready to try something else. For me, in the way I play, I have to really be out there playing 11 months a year and I’m just no longer able to do so.”
He further added: “I can still play at a high level, I feel, but not day-in, day-out. The body’s not letting me. All those years of being physical on the court have caught up with me. I come from humble beginnings and a hard-working family. And I wasn’t some amazing junior. But I worked at it and I had a goal. I did everything possible to squeeze that lemon dry and hopefully people can see that I got everything out of my game.”
Millman concluded his discussion: “I’m happy to have been able to live out a dream of mine, which was to play professional tennis. It’s been an absolute thrill. I’ve had some really special moments on the court. That’s the reason why I’m on the court, slugging away and playing through the pain. To hopefully get a couple of matches over the summer for them to cheer me on and hopefully make them proud.”
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All good things come to an end.
After the upcoming Australian Summer I’ll be retiring from professional tennis.
I’m incredibly grateful for all the support I’ve had throughout my career.
It’s been a thrilling ride living out a dream I had as a kid. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/BFru6Wjwgn— John Millman (@johnhmillman) November 9, 2023
John Millman in 2023
Ranked world no.436, John played his last match on the 25th of August when he capitulated to world no.211 Stefano Travaglia 2-6 7-6(3) 6-2 in the qualifications of the U.S. Open (draw).
Currently, during this season John owns a compiled 5-5 win-loss record.