John Millman, the Australian tennis cult hero who once beat Roger Federer, to call time on career

Australian fan favorite John Millman, who famously defeated Roger Federer to succeed in the 2018 US Open quarterfinals, has known as an imminent finish to his skilled tennis profession. 

The 34-year-old revealed on Thursday night time he would stroll away after a tenth and last Australian Open marketing campaign in January, saying “sadly age has caught as much as me”.

“Simply the three (shoulder) surgical procedures. Persistent again damage was the factor that did me in, although,” Millman mentioned.

Millman had earlier confirmed on social media he would retire after his house main.

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“All good issues come to an finish,” he wrote on X (previously Twitter).

“After the upcoming Australian summer time, I will be retiring from skilled tennis.

“I am extremely grateful for all of the assist I’ve had all through my profession. It has been an exciting experience dwelling out a dream I had as a child.”

Millman overcame all method of accidents to forge a particular place within the Australian tennis historical past books with a career-defining fourth-round victory over Roger Federer on the 2018 US Open in New York.

He was the primary Australian to beat Federer at a serious since Pat Rafter on the 1999 French Open, when the Swiss was nonetheless a teen.

Millman got here near repeating the feat on the 2020 Australian Open, shedding in 5 units after main Federer 8-4 within the deciding super-tiebreaker.

He reached a career-high quantity 33 on the earth in October 2018, gained his lone ATP singles title in Kazakhstan in 2020 and performed 5 Davis Cup ties for Australia, whereas additionally carrying the inexperienced and gold at two Olympic Video games.

Along with his stirring run at Flushing Meadows 5 years in the past, the place it took Novak Djokovic to cease him, Millman twice made the third spherical at Melbourne Park and Wimbledon.

Millman will characteristic in Australia’s United Cup facet for the combined groups’ occasion that kicks off subsequent month.

Whereas the world quantity 436 is not going to earn direct entry into the Australian Open, he’s virtually sure to obtain a wildcard for the primary main of the season.

AAP