Millman’s Motivation: ‘I’ve Never Wanted To Stagnate’

John Millman will be ready to hit the ground running when action resumes on Tour.

The Aussie is at home in Brisbane and has remained devoted to his off-court training. Although not having access to his normal equipment has forced him to get creative, the 30-year-old believes he could return stronger than ever.

“I’ve got the home gym setup, every app under the sun with the indoor training bikes. I’m connecting to a few of the Aussie players who also have those apps and am just trying to stay fit,” Millman said to former doubles World No. 1 Todd Woodbridge in a recent video interview for Tennis Australia. “A big part of my game is my physicality and I don’t want to lose that, but it’s quite easy to when you’re spending a fair bit of time away from the day-in, day-out grind of the Tour.

“There are little things that you’re always looking to improve and I think that’s helped me throughout my career. I’ve never wanted to stagnate. I’m a big believer that the game of tennis is constantly evolving and you have to evolve with it or you get left behind. It’s tough to get the on-court time now, but you can get stronger in the legs and upper body.”

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Millman isn’t a stranger to long stretches of time at home. He’s endured extended periods of rehab throughout his career after two significant shoulder surgeries and a groin surgery. But the baseliner admitted that time away from competition due to the current pandemic has posed a different mental challenge to overcome.

“The tough thing about this is that motivation and not having an end date in mind,” Millman said. “With the surgeries, you could earmark tournaments where you thought you could get back… I think setting daily goals and daily routines can help with keeping that motivation nice and high.”

Millman has also increased his presence on social media in recent weeks, reflecting on past moments in his career and sharing his views on the sport. His clear passion for the game has led many fans to suggest that he should become an advocate for his fellow players and the Aussie said he would welcome the opportunity.

“I’ve been approached a couple of times to run [for ATP Player Council], but my biggest problem is that you have to commit to a three-year term as a player. With all of my injury history… There was never a point in my career where I thought I had three years left,” Millman said. “But I’m very interested in the governance of the game… In the future, even if it’s post-tennis, being involved in the administration side of the game is something that greatly interests me.”