Steve Johnson: I've got to be responsible for someone else now

American tennis player Steve Johnson, 30, says some things will have to change now since he and his wife Kendall are expecting their first child in December.

Johnson, who is competing in World TeamTennis, plays for the Orange County Breakers -- who own a 3-7 record in the competition.

"I don't want to screw up somebody else's life now. I've got to be responsible for somebody else," Johnson told tennis.com. "Probably a little less time on the golf course for me when I'm home come December when we welcome our baby girl into this world. So my wife and I are so happy that we get a chance to start a family and looking forward to it."

Johnson, who turned professional in 2012, admits being away from home will be extra tough when he becomes a father but he hopes to play for a few more seasons on the Tour.

"I think it's going to be hard to be away from the family like we are now 25-30 weeks of the year," Johnson said. "Depending on how the travel is, how the world is in 3-5 years, where I'm ranked–there are a lot of variables in there.

"Hopefully I can play for a few more years, but there's going to be a side of me that will be more at home than he is on the road."

Johnson enjoys playing World TeamTennis

Playing in World TeamTennis will help Johnson get some matches under his belt ahead of the season restart and shake off the rust.

"There's only so much you can do in practice, at least for myself," Johnson said. "It's comes with live reps, it comes with competing, playing big points and kind of figuring out what works and what doesn't work again, since we haven't been playing events for the last three months."

Four-time ATP champion Johnson enjoys playing in a team competition.

"We're so individual all year so for us to be part of a team is few and far between, so I enjoy these moments," Johnson said. "I've played the last six years for Orange County, just a few matches here and there. To have a chance to play the full season, it's been fun to get to know your teammates a little bit better."

Before the season was suspended, Johnson won three and lost four matches on the ATP Tour.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3jELfRc