While American tennis star Steve Johnson is in the latter stages of his career, he is still going strong on ATP tours. With 4 career ATP titles in his bag, he is currently playing in the ATP Dallas tournament and aspires to win another trophy after he ends his long-losing drought. The former World No. 21 has had great support from his family and friends which has helped him to keep going strongly on tour.
The 34-year-old, who turned professional in 2010, is married to Kendall Bateman, a former professional volleyball player. On April 21, 2018, Johnson and Bateman married at the Maravilla Gardens in Camarillo, Ventura County, Southern California.
Kendall Mikala Bateman was born June 15, 1990, in Torrance, California. Her parents are Steve and Jane, and she has a brother, Stephen, and a sister named Kelsey. She names Rafael Nadal as her favorite professional athlete.
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The two have been married for five years and have become pillars of support for each other. Johnson appreciates Kendall’s support, whether he’s on the road fighting or at his home gym before the sun rises.
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“Luckily, my wife is a rockstar, she’s the rock of our house,” Johnson told the ATP Tour. “She knows that my world is not easy and when I’m home I still need to put in the work to go out and compete on the road.” Johnson continues to have doubts about his game but continues to fight as he is just three victories short of his 200th career win.
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With Bateman, Johnson has two daughters, Emma (two) and Molly (three months). He is in his 11th year as a professional and has consciously modified his schedule after becoming a father to prioritize more family time.
“Having a family really puts life into perspective” – Steve Johnson
Johnson understands what it’s like to win ATP Tour championships, crack the Top 25 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, and earn an Olympic medal. He has also learned what it means to be a father of two kids over the last two and a half years while continuing to excel on the court. Since he had his daughters, he has learned to prioritize family over tennis.
“There’s so much more to life than tennis. Sometimes we get so inundated with this sport, we are so involved in it,” said Johnson. “We’re kind of in the weeds, we can’t see through the shadows. Having a family really puts life into perspective.”
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He further told ATP Tour, “I don’t want to be gone that long, it’s not enjoyable for me to be gone for that long and not see them. I try to play maybe two, three weeks in a row, that’s about it and then get home. It’s definitely changed a lot over my career, but I couldn’t be happier with my life and where I’m at.”
When Johnson is at home in California, he begins exercising as early as 5 a.m. with the aim of spending the entire day with family. Emma has grown into her toddler years, and the former World No. 21 has detected a touch of himself in her ‘non-stop enthusiasm’. In 2023, Johnson made his first tennis trip with his family as they accompanied him to the US Open.
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A family man through and through, Steve Johnson is still playing tennis and aims to play tournaments to keep his dream alive. Now, his family will see the tennis player he has become.