“I don’t want to be gone when important things are happening. So hopefully I can play for a few more years, but there’s going to be a side of me that probably will be more at home than he is on the road.”
After a quick catch-up with Irina Falconi as she heads for the New York bubble, Nina Pantic chats with world No. 63 Stevie Johnson (interview starts at 7:07). The 30-year-old discusses his impending fatherhood and how that life milestone is going to impact his career.
Admitting he needs a reason to stay motivated, the former University of Southern California star took 75 days off during the shutdown and has restarted his ATP season in New York. He played in exhibition events during the summer as well as the three-week-long season of World TeamTennis so he's not completely rusty.
But no matter what happens on court next, what Johnson will remember his 2020 season for is becoming a parent. He and his wife Kendall will welcome a daughter in December. The growing family are moving into a new home in Manhattan Beach where Johnson plans to “live happily ever after.”
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