USC’s most decorated men’s tennis player, Steve Johnson, has added yet another piece of historic hardware to his trophy case. In his Olympic debut, Johnson made powerful runs through singles and doubles, and capped off his time in Rio by claiming a bronze medal in doubles alongside Team USA teammate Jack Sock. In claiming bronze today, Johnson gathers in USC’s fifth medal of these 2016 Olympic Games. It’s the 66th bronze medal collected by a Trojan all-time in the history of the Olympic Games and the 293rd medal overall by a Trojan.
Johnson — winner of four NCAA Team Championships and back-to-back NCAA Singles Championships while at Troy — also claimed his first pro title this summer. Now, after a smooth and convincing 6-2, 6-4 win over Canada’s Nestor/Pospisil today, Johnson adds a shiny Olympic bronze medal to his pile of impressive awards.
Johnson is the sixth Trojan men’s tennis player to play in an Olympic Games and the first to win a medal since Rafael Osuna won doubles gold in 1968 in Mexico City. He and Osuna are now the only Trojans to medal at the Olympics.
Johnson started his day’s work with a head-turning performance against defending Olympic gold-medalist and recent Wimbledon champ Andy Murray in the singles quarterfinals. After surrendering the first set, Johnson bounced back and claimed the second to force an intense third. That one would go down to the wire, extending into a tiebreaker where the experienced Murray was able to fend off Johnson and snag the final 6-0, 4-6, 7-6 (2) victory to take the spot in the semifinals.
DOUBLES RESULTS:
First Round (Aug. 7)
Robert Farah / Cabal (COL) def. [1] Herbert/Mahut (FRA) - 7-6 (4), 6-3
Steve Johnson / Sock (USA) def. Peralta/Podlipnik-Castillo (CHI) - 6-2, 6-2
Second Round (Aug. 8)
Steve Johnson / Sock (USA) def. Robert Farah / Cabal (COL) - 6-4, 7-6 (1)
Quarterfinals (Aug. 9)
Steve Johnson / Sock (USA) def. [8] Bautista Agut/Ferrer (ESP) - 6-4, 6-2
Semifinals (Aug. 10)
Steve Johnson / Sock (USA) lost to [5] Mergea/Tecau (ROU) - 6-4, 7-5
Bronze Medal Match (Aug. 12)
Steve Johnson / Sock (USA) def. Nestor/Pospisil (CAN) - 6-2, 6-4
SINGLES RESULTS:
First Round (Aug. 6)
[12] Steve Johnson (USA) def. Darian King (BAR) - 6-3, 6-2
Second Round (Aug. 9)
[12] Steve Johnson (USA) def. Gastao Elias (BAR) - 6-3, 6-4
Third Round (Aug. 10)
[12] Steve Johnson (USA) def. Evgeny Donskoy (RUS) - 6-1, 6-1
Quarterfinals (Aug. 12)
[12] Steve Johnson (USA) lost to [1] Andy Murray (GBR) - 6-0, 4-6, 7-6 (2)
