Teammates on USC’s 2009 and 2010 NCAA Championship men’s tennis teams, Robert Farah and Steve Johnson have a reunion in Rio de Janeiro ahead, as both have been named to their respective nation’s Olympic teams. Farah, a native of Colombia, is lined up for action in the 2016 Olympic doubles draw. Johnson, meanwhile, has scored slots in both singles and doubles as a member of Team USA. They are the first USC men’s tennis Olympians since Wayne Black represented Zimbabwe in doubles in the 2004 Games in Athens. Black also is the last Trojan to play in singles in the Olympics, having done so in 2000 in Sydney. USC men’s tennis now has a count of seven Trojans to play in the Olympic Games, having now represented Troy in six different Games dating back to Rafael Osuna’s doubles gold medal in 1968 Mexico City.
It’s the first Olympic appearances for both Trojans, who have been enjoying successful professional careers since closing down their time at Troy, spending plenty of time on the ATP circuit and at Grand Slams around the world. Both Farah and Johnson wrapped their respective USC careers ranked No. 1 in the nation in singles and No. 2 in doubles. Farah and Johnson were paired together in Farah’s senior season in 2010, when the Trojans won their second consecutive NCAA Team crown. Johnson would carry on that momentum and help USC to two more NCAA titles while snagging back-to-back NCAA singles championships for himself. Read more about Farah and Johnson’s successes below.
Robert Farah - Colombia (1st-time Olympian | 2008 NCAA Doubles Champion | 2009 & 2010 NCAA Team Champion)
Colombian native Robert Farah has secured his first trip to the Olympic Games with his qualification in doubles. Farah won two NCAA Team Championships as a Trojan and also won the 2008 NCAA Doubles Championship. He finished his USC career ranked as the No. 1 singles player in the nation and the No. 2 doubles duo in the land in the final 2010 ITA rankings. A two-time Pac-12 Singles Player of the Year, he also was named to the Pac-12 Doubles Team of the Year three times as a Trojan. In his pro career, Farah has paired to great success with countryman Juan Sebastian Cabal in doubles. The duo has won seven titles together, and Farah currently ranks No. 28 in the world in doubles. Most recently, Farah reached the mixed doubles final at Wimbledon -- his 18th Grand Slam appearance since turning pro in 2010.
Steve Johnson: USA (1st-time Olympian | 2011 & 2012 NCAA Singles Champion | 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 NCAA Team Champion)
After closing out his USC career on a 72-match singles win streak, Steve Johnsonpropelled himself into a strong professional career and has now locked in on his first trip to the Olympic Games. Now ranked a career-best No. 21 in the world in singles, Johnson won his first pro singles and doubles titles this year, claiming the singles crown at Nottingham and the doubles title at Geneva with countryman Sam Querrey. Fresh off a career-best run to the Round of 16 at Wimbledon, Johnson has made 16 Grand Slam appearances. As a Trojan, Johnson pieced together what is arguably the most successful collegiate career in history. A two-time NCAA Singles Champion, Johnson anchored USC to four consecutive NCAA Team Championships. A seven-time All-American, Johnson collected 149 career singles wins and 134 doubles victories in four years as a Trojan.
USC MEN’S TENNIS OLYMPIANS:
SINGLES
Eric Amend (USA) — 1984 Los Angeles
Byron Black (Zimbabwe) — 1996 Atlanta
Wayne Black (Zimbabwe) — 1996 Atlanta | 2000 Sydney
Steve Johnson (USA) — 2016 Rio de Janeiro
DOUBLES
Rafael Osuna (Mexico) — 1968 Mexico City [Gold Medal]
Byron Black (Zimbabwe) — 1996 Atlanta
Wayne Black (Zimbabwe) — 1996 Atlanta | 2000 Sydney | 2004 Athens
Kyle Spencer (Great Britain) — 2000 Sydney
Robert Farah (Colombia) — 2016 Rio de Janeiro
Steve Johnson (USA) — 2016 Rio de Janeiro
