‘Crash’ Craddock: Retiring John Millman’s kindness towards journalist Paul Malone will never be forgotten

It was 2020 and John Millman had played a five-set Australian Open epic against Roger Federer. But that didn’t stop sport’s good bloke showing concern for journo, Paul ‘Scobie’ Malone.

Tennis player John Millman (right) with the late Paul Malone Picture Supplied

More than 800,000 Australians watched John Millman frighten the life out of Roger Federer in the Australian Open yet a sixth sense told Millman someone was missing.

As he sat in the press conference after his heroic five set loss to Federer at the 2020 Open it struck Millman the one person he had not spotted all summer was The Courier-Mail’s fellow Brisbane-based tennis writer Paul “Scobie’’ Malone.

Curiosity turned to concern when Millman, after making his own inquires, learnt Malone had been seriously injured in a hospital fall but because Paul was such a private man no details had been made public.

Always one to front up on an off the court, Millman did just that by continuing his search for the facts, eventually finding his way to my door when he said he was “hit for six’’ by the news and would do anything he could for Paul and his family.

John Millman with Roger Federer after that Australian Open 5-set epic in 2020. Picture: AAP Image/Dave Hunt

Millman, who retired from professional tennis this month, will be remembered by the tennis world as a flint hard scrapper who made the most of his talents.

But to the family and friends of Malone, including his sports writing colleagues, he will always be the kind soul who made it business to quietly appear bedside when Malone was fighting for his life in a heroic crusade which ended when Paul died in February, 2021.

“You talk about toughness,’’ said Millman this week. “I saw first hand his will to live and the way he held on. I could not have held on like that.’’

Grim though the setting was in the Princess Alexandra Hospital spinal unit when Millman got to visit Malone, the mood lightened immediately with a sweet comic moment when Millman handed over a shirt signed by the Australia Davis Cup squad.

Malone, who admired the players but had a deep-seated loathing of coach Lleyton Hewitt, said: “That’s really kind of you. If it’s just the players I’ll get it framed mate. But if Hewitt has signed it could you put it in the washing basket and I’ll get his named washed off.

“Sorry but I just can’t lie here all day looking at Hewitt’s signature. Were you thinking I haven’t suffered enough?’’

Millman laughed and took no offence. “Look, Lleyton’s fine but what that proved to me was that Paul had not lost that wicked sense of humour,’’ Millman said this week.

Millman held nothing back during his time with Malone. It was a treat not just for Malone but the three other men who were lying motionless in their beds in the same ward.

They could not believe they were listening live to the tennis player who had just been the talk of the nation.

It’s not every day a hospital patient gets to overhear a line like: “Paul when I am playing Nadal I just never feel as if I am going to beat him but with Federer for some reason I genuinely feel I am a sneaky chance every time.’’

Tennis player John Millman (right) with the late Paul Malone Picture Supplied

One of the reasons Millman’s visit meant so much to Malone was because the scribe rated Millman the favourite sports personality he met in his distinguished 40 year career.

Malone once said to me: “Isn’t it funny that when people ask you your favourite interview you are supposed to say Rod Laver or Federer or some rugby league player.

“I enjoy Millman more than anyone. He’s real. Genuine. Open. Four square. God he scraps. Nothing comes easily. I love it when he has a nice little win overseas. He’s the only player I’ve interviewed in any sport where, because you become so invested in his journey, you somehow feel part it. He fronts up.’’

Fronts up indeed. Millman followed his meeting with Malone with text messages of concern and Paul’s son Thomas was suitably impressed when an Olympics tennis shirt mysteriously appeared in their letter box at Wilston.

When The Courier-Mail published news of Malone death, I received a text from Millman within 10 minutes of the story being released on our website.

“With Paul, I always felt he was a lover of the sport who asked pointed but fair questions. He asked them with an open mind. He loved the game. He was always keen to see you do well.

“I wish he was still around today. He had a massive impact on the growth of the Brisbane International. The game misses him.’’

Millman rates playing Davis Cup as one of the great highlights of his career which peaked with a career high 33 ranking after he upset five time champion Federer in the 2018 US Open.

“When you are a kid you have the big dreams of winning grand slams and being the best ever then you realise this is really tough. I genuinely think I peaked when I was four years old. I was playing fixtures at that age and not too many people did that.’’

Millman inherited his down to earth nature from his parents, Shona and Ron, a former Rothmans Medal winning soccer player who played 80 games for the Brisbane Lions in the National Soccer League.

Young John Millman had big dreams and worked very hard to have a successful tennis career. Picture: Richard Walker 010207

“There was myself and my four sisters to put through private schools and to do that on two teachers’ wages just did not cut it.

“They had to work five jobs to pay for it all. I remember my father working through the nights making chocolates late in the week.

“That work ethic sort of got to me. I saw what they put in. I knew I wasn’t the most talented guy on the circuit so I had to get there on work ethic.’’

Millman earned almost $US5.5 million in prizemoney but there were times when life was stripped to bare basics.

“I slept on the floors of train stations and sent emails home saying I have had enough and just wanted to come home.

“I remember playing in Europe where you would have to win four matches to earn 90 euros which did not stretch far. You would be playing a game and in the middle of the match if you looked like losing you would think “I will be sleeping at the airport tonight.’’

Expanding on his declaration to Malone that he felt more comfortable against Federer than Nadal, Millman said it was simply a matter of styles.

“Rafa was hard because his high spinning forehand meant I would be hitting balls from behind the baseline around my head.

“I played Roger early in my career a couple of times and – even though this sounds ridiculous – I sort of lost that fear factor. He used his slice really well but but I didn’t mind being in the backcorner facing his slice and felt, given he was a shotmaker, I could stay in the game by being relentlessly boring.’’

Off court, boring was one thing Millman has never been and he retires with a reputation as one of the game’s finest characters.

One keen judge rated him the best of the lot.