Steve Johnson, who won two NCAA singles crowns and four team championships at USC, earned a bronze medal in men's doubles at Rio 2016. Johnson just missed a chance to medal in singles, too --- in the quarterfinals, he showed his fighting spirit in a three-set loss to Andy Murray. Johnson failed to win a game in the first set, but roared back to win the second before falling in the third set tiebreaker to the eventual Olympic champion.
Just hours after that heartbreaking defeat, Johnson teamed up with Jack Sock to win bronze in the doubles tournament.
The top-ranked American man in tennis recently stopped by USC to share stories about his Olympic experience.
Aubrey Kragen (AK): You were so incredibly successful at USC. Was the Olympics a goal for you at the time, or did it become a reality later on?
Steve Johnson (SJ): "When I left USC, the Olympics wasn't even on my radar, because right when I finished, the 2012 Olympics was just happening, but you saw the Olympics and you obviously, one day, would like to play. I'm such a big team guy, and I knew playing in that environment would be remarkable. I kind of knew at the end of last year that I was going to be in, so it took a lot of the pressure off me ... It was such an amazing experience down there. It was hard to describe. It was fun to catch up with a lot of USC athletes and friends I hadn't seen for years, and to see how our paths had taken such different turns, but we all ended up at the same place. It was just such a blast."
AK: You mentioned it took pressure off you making the team early, but when you got there, did you put a lot of pressure on yourself? What were your expectations?
SJ: "I just wanted to make the most of it and make everyone proud of the way I competed and carried myself throughout the Olympics. Once you get towards the end of the week, you realize there is a chance for medals, and the chance to stand on the podium and represent your country. It was in the back of my mind the whole time, because you want to go down there and succeed, but when it becomes a reality, you've really got to focus on what you do best that got you there ... You didn't want to get too far ahead of yourself, but you wanted to make sure that you were ready to go."
AK: Can you talk me through your match against Andy Murray? What was going through your head?
SJ: "It was interesting. I had played him once before and I knew kind of what he was going to do, and I knew what I wanted to do. Sometimes it doesn't go according to plan --- the first set went by a little too fast. I got kicked in the pants a little bit and got a chance to regroup in between sets ... I came out and I was playing great, you know, got my chance to win at the end, and unfortunately, he played great tennis at that point. Nothing I can do but just say, 'Too good' and hopefully get another chance. To get that close in singles to a chance at a medal was definitely heartbreaking, but later that day we got the chance to win the bronze in doubles. The range of emotion went from sadness to complete joy, and I didn't even care about the singles anymore. It was such an interesting day --- emotionally up-and-down."
AK: How were you able to bounce back mentally after a really disappointing loss to perform well enough to medal in doubles that same day?
SJ: "The doubles helped ... That singles match was heartbreaking, so I'm glad I actually got the chance to go out there and play doubles later in the day, to get a chance to rewrite the end of this Olympic story for 2016. Thankfully we went out there and got a win and got a bronze medal, because after the singles, if we would have gone out there and gotten fourth, my experience would be so different. I'm just so happy to walk away with a medal and bring it back to show all my friends and family. It's something I can share with them for the rest of my life."
AK: What's it been like since getting back now that you have a medal? What do you do with your medal?
SJ: "I haven't quite gotten the box for it yet. It's still a work in progress from the Olympics --- I had to leave the next day after we finished, so I didn't get a chance to get a trophy box. I've been on the road since the Olympics, and I just got home, so it's been fun to share it with my parents, my girlfriend's family and my family. I'm going to see my grandparents in a few days, and they've never seen one so it'll be fun for them to see one. I don't like to be the center of attention, by any means, so I just bring it and it kind of sits around until someone wants to see it. It's just fun to share that with friends and family, because if you know anything about any sport, you know what the Olympics are and you know how special that is."
AK: What did it mean to you to meet up with some fellow Trojans in Rio, so far away from home?
SJ: "It's amazing. The Trojan Family is a bond that we'll never not have. It was awesome to watch Kaleigh [Gilchrist] and Kami [Craig] win gold in women's water polo --- I was glued to my TV in Cincinnati. Same with Micah [Christensen] and Murphy [Troy], coming back from down two sets in the third and the fourth ... It's just fun to support and follow those kinds of people that went through the same things as you, and now you can enjoy it on a bigger stage."
AK: Is there anything you learned at USC that helped you when you were in Rio or helped you get there in the first place?
SJ: "They really helped me grow as a person, both on the tennis court and off. I have a lot to thank for my parents and my family and Peter [Smith] and everybody here who was involved with my upbringing and turning me from a talented boy to a grown man who's now responsible for life and adulthood. Having all these people around me and supporting me, they were the first people I called as soon as I won."
