STO Player Profile : John Millman

by Circle Stories, on February 20, 2021

Millman2

By Rehmat Nohal 

John H. Millman, also known as "The Mailman",  is the 2nd seed at the inaugural Singapore Tennis Open, and ranked 39th in the world. He reached a career-high singles ranking of world No. 33 in October 2018. The Australian captured his first ever ATP tour championship at the Astana Open in November 2020, becoming the fifth player to capture his maiden tour-level trophy this season. Millman picked up tennis when he was four, as his four older sisters, Shona, Kara, Tessa and Bronte all played, and he was keenly competitive to clock victories over his older sisters.
 
Millman's career is a story of resilience and commitment to the sport, despite multiple injuries and surgeries that kept him out of play for months at a time since his professional debut in 2008. He won his first main draw ATP level match after 5 years in 2013 at the Brisbane International, which accorded him wildcards into the Australian Open and French Open. 
 
He was unfortunately overcome with a second shoulder injury later that summer, forcing a withdrawal from Roland Garros, and handing the wildcard to fellow compatriot, Nick Kyrgios. Following a second shoulder reconstruction surgery in 2013, Millman had to take up an office job in the finance sector as he underwent rehab, unsure of his return to the sport.
 
He announced his return to the circuit the following year, and managed to break the into the top 100 for the first time in 2015. Despite being besieged by injuries, Millman had continued success at recent tournaments and has steadily climbed the rankings over the years. He rose to global tennis fame at the 2018 US Open by causing one of the biggest grand-slam upsets, taking out 5-time US Open Champion Roger Federer in 4 sets of spellbinding tennis in the round of 16.
 
The 31-year old is the second ranked Australian behind youngster Alex de Minaur, and is seeking his 2nd ATP Championship at the Singapore Open, which would double his ATP trophy count. He tends to be a fan favorite, his fan following coined as "Millmania". The Aussie describes his biggest strength being his mental game, which should serve him well as one of the more experienced players in the Lion City. 
 
Millman awaits the winner of fellow compatriot and wildcard entry Matthew Ebden, and former world no.1 junior Yuki Bhambri of India who will be playing their first-round match on Tuesday. Millman is also competing in the doubles tournament partnering Yannick Hanfmann of Germany, against the British pair Dominic Inglot and Luke Bambridge.
 
(Edited by Raj Kumar)
 
 

Rehmat Johal is a former national tennis player, having represented Singapore at the Fed Cup in 2011 and 2012. She held the number 1 women’s open ranking in Singapore for almost 3 years between 2011 and 2013. She also dabbled in contact rugby - and was a member of the National Women’s Sevens Squad, and previously represented Singapore at an u20 level. Rehmat graduated from the Singapore Management University and is currently working full time.

 


For live streams, schedules and more stories from the Singapore Tennis Open 2021, visit hub.tennis

For the latest Singapore Tennis Open updates on the go, follow us on Telegram