Strike! Johnson Throws Out First Pitch At Citi Field

Steve Johnson continued the recent American tennis theme at Citi Field, throwing out the first pitch on Friday evening. The top-ranked American made the ceremonial toss with WTA player Bethanie Mattek-Sands before the New York Mets took on the archrival Philadelphia Phillies.

It was a long-awaited experience for the American, marking the first time he had thrown out a first pitch in a Major League Baseball game. Earlier this month, former World No. 1 and New York native John McEnroe launched a perfect strike.

“It’s been great,” Johnson, a fan of the Los Angeles Angels, told ATPWorldTour.com at the game. “Any time you get to do something new and see a stadium like this is pretty awesome. I’ve been a baseball fan my whole life. To finally get the opportunity to come here and do this, it’s pretty beautiful.

“I feel like I was more nervous walking out at Centre Court in Wimbledon this year than throwing out the first pitch, but I hit him right in the chest and that’s all that matters. I was no Reilly Opelka and did not airmail it. It wasn’t as fast as Johnny Mac, but I got it done.”

Last month, Vasek Pospisil threw out the first pitch at a Toronto Blue Jays game, during the Rogers Cup, followed by Reilly Opelka at a Cincinnati Reds game during the Western & Southern Open.

Johnson, who is in the midst of a breakout campaign on the ATP World Tour, is up to a career-high World No. 21 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. The California native reached his first Masters 1000 quarter-final two weeks ago in Cincinnati, having claimed his maiden tour-level title on the grass of Nottingham in late June. Seeded 19th at the US Open, he is slated to open against Russia’s Evgeny Donskoy, with a potential second round clash against 2009 champion Juan Martin del Potro in the cards.