Proud American ATP stalwart Steve Johnson hangs his racket with a heartfelt note after early exit at the Indian Wells Masters

Steve Johnson retired after playing at the highest level for more than a decade.

Proud American ATP stalwart Steve Johnson hangs his racket with a heartfelt note after early exit at the Indian Wells Masters

Steve Johnson shares a heartfelt note after retiring from pro tennis (Images via X)

American tennis player Steve Johnson hung up his racket after competing for 12 years on the men’s tour. The 34-year-old played his last singles match on Monday, in the Indian Wells Qualifier wherein he lost to Emilio Nava in three sets. Johnson fought hard but could not cross the line.

Nevertheless, the 34-year-old enjoyed his last moments on the tennis court as Johnson soaked in all the love from the fans. The American Olympic bronze medalist waved goodbye to the fans at the stadium and to those sitting at their homes and getting all emotional, Johnson shared a heartfelt note on social media.

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Steve (Stevie) Johnson thanked everyone who helped him in his journey. Before that, the 34-year-old expressed delight about giving everything in every single match he played in his career. Johnson also said that it was a dream come true for him to compete at the highest level for such a long period.

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What an incredible journey this has been. Thank you to all of you who have been there and supported me from the beginning. This is truly a dream come true to have competed and played on the world's biggest stages in the sport that I love. From day one, I have always competed to the best of my abilities and I am proud to have continued that until my last match.
Steve Johnson wrote in his note.

The 34-year-old said that after giving his everything to the sport, it is time for him to look away and spend time with his family. 

In my heart, I know that I have done everything I could in this journey and it's time for me to hop off and enjoy time with my family. Thank you to everyone who has supported me over the years. To all of my coaches, trainers, physios, fellow players, family, and friends, thank you for your support. I could not have done this without you and thank you for helping make my dreams come true.
Johnson further wrote.

The American also gave a special shoutout to his wife Kendall, for supporting him throughout his journey as a pro athlete.

Steve Johnson walks away with zero regrets

Steve Johnson was happy to end his career at a tournament he had grown up watching. The 34-year-old also looked back at his journey and feels that he left no stone unturned. Steve Johnson walks away from the game with zero regrets.

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Steve Johnson in action (Image via Imago)

The 34-year-old said that while he also dreamt about being the best like everyone else does, he is extremely satisfied with whatever he achieved in his career. 

Obviously, hindsight is going to be important here, but I feel as if I sit here now very proud of what I accomplished, I felt like I did just about everything I could in my power to either rectify mistakes that I made, playing or all the things that go into playing tennis.
Steve Johnson said after his last singles match. (H/T: ATP Tour)

The 34-year-old said that he is not someone who will go back thinking that he could have done something different. 

I feel like I left no stone unturned. And for me, that's the most important piece. I don't want to look back and have any regrets or wish I would have done X, Y, and Z. So for me, I feel very proud of what I accomplished.
The 34-year-old stated.

Notably, the highlights of Johnson’s career include his four tour-level titles and a tremendous effort at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where he won the bronze medal in men’s doubles with Jack Sock and pushed eventual gold medalist Andy Murray to a final-set tie-break in the quarter-finals of the singles.

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