Chad Johnson was one of the most entertaining players in the NFL, earning six trips to the Pro Bowl. A tennis fan who has worked on his own game, the former wide receiver fittingly took the court with another fans’ favourite in Ben Shelton on Wednesday at the Miami Open presented by Itau.
“It was good, it was fun. It was humbling, obviously,” Johnson said. “Just a simple back and forth with Ben let’s me know I’m not ready. I’m not ready.”
Getting down to business with @BenShelton & @ochocinco 💼 pic.twitter.com/oi9D1niD2F
— Miami Open (@MiamiOpen) March 21, 2025
Johnson explained he had not played tennis for eight months until very recently. But he still was able to carry some rallied with the No. 14 player in the PIF ATP Rankings.
“Obviously his world ranking speaks for itself. His resume, his accolades to date speak for itself,” Johnson said. “But actually being out here on court with him, no way. I don’t have the trained eye for it. My hand-eye coordination, even playing football for the years I played, I would have had to start over, be born again and then start as a child.”
What was he most impressed by in the 22-year-old’s game?
“Everything. Serve. I would like his serve,” Johnson said. “I’d be here on Tour right now on the Tour alone.
“I could watch him for hours and hours and I’d never be able to do that.”
Shelton walked to Johnson’s side of the net and gave the 47-year-old some serving tips. It was a fun day on the court before Shelton begins his tournament on Saturday against wild card Cameron Wong. The lefty is one of the most entertaining players to watch — Johnson is not sure he would survive in the same position.
“If you put me in a tennis environment, in a structured environment where it’s kind of frowned upon with the way I entertain, I’d probably get thrown out. I’m just being honest,” Johnson said. “I’d probably get thrown out. Engaging with the crowd, making sure they were part of every point. It would be fun, but I don’t think I could do it. I would be over the top.”
© Copyright 1994 - 2024 ATP Tour, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No part of this site may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any way or by any means (including photocopying, recording or storing it in any medium by electronic means), without the written permission of ATP Tour, Inc.. Terms & Conditions | Privacy | Community Social Media Policy | Modern Slavery Statement | Feedback | Cookies | Your Privacy Choices 
