Millman reflects on shock win at 2018 US Open over Federer: 'I still store away that match point when I won that one'

Sunday, 25 August 2019 at 16:42

John Millman shocked the tennis world last year when he ousted Roger Federer in a 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(7), 7-6(3) win at the US Open dumping out the five-time champion in a brilliant victory.

He has another mammoth task on his agenda this year when he takes on Rafael Nadal in the first round. The Aussie spoke ahead of facing Nadal admitting that he will forever remember his match point against the Swiss ace.

“I think one of the most important things about your tennis career and what I want to take away from it when I’m finished is a couple of little pictures that you store away in the memory bank,” Millman told ATPTour.com. “I still store away that match point when I won that one and it’s something I’ll hopefully take with me long after tennis.”

“You’re just trying to tell yourself when you’re walking onto that court in that warm-up to try to get the feet going and try to just familiarise yourself with your surroundings as quickly as possible because it’s different,” Millman added. “It’s a massive stadium and it’s one of those places you watched as a kid.”

Previous experience against Federer

Millman faced Roger Federer in Brisbane three years prior to their meeting at the US Open and for him he believes it helped as he'd already encountered the pressure that it took to face him in the past.

“I’m lucky probably that I’d faced him before and I faced him in Brisbane where there was a fair bit of pressure on me because you’re playing at home and the last thing you want to do is get whipped in front of your home crowd and home support,” Millman said. “So I felt as if I’d played him under a bit of pressure before and that definitely helped going into that match.”

He later lost to eventual champion Novak Djokovic but his status as one of the stand out players of last years' tournament was complete and for him it was about winning the whole tournament at Flushing Meadows, not just winning the one game against Federer.

“Obviously when you’re a kid, you don’t imagine just winning the one-off match,” the Australian ace said. “You imagine winning the whole thing.”

Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief

Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.

Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.

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