“King”, Nadal, South Africa, surgery: Everything you wanted to know about Lloyd Harris (but never had the time to find out) – updated as of October 2023
Lloyd Harris is one of leading tennis stars from South Africa on the ATP Tour. Here are the answers to some questions you may have about the 26-year-old.
Lloyd Harris in Washington, 2021
Who is Lloyd Harris?
Lloyd Harris is a tennis player from South Africa who competes on the professional men’s circuit.
What is Lloyd Harris’ best career victory?
Harris scored the biggest win of his career at the Citi Open in Washington DC in on August 5, 2021. Harris defeated the third-ranked Rafael Nadal 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 to move into the quarter-finals of the ATP 500 event.
Speaking on court after the win, Harris said, “It’s a very special moment in my career, probably the best win I have ever had, and to have it in front of fans just makes it so much better.”
What is Lloyd Harris’ best performance at a Grand Slam?
Lloyd Harris reached the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time at the 2021 US Open. Harris beat Karen Khachanov and Denis Shapovalov en route to the last eight, losing to Alexander Zverev.
He also reached the third round at the 2021 Australian Open. He made his Wimbledon debut in 2019, taking a set off eight-time champion and the eventual finalist Roger Federer in the first round and has been to the second round at the All England Club and Roland-Garros.
Did Lloyd Harris undergo surgery in 2022?
Yes. The South African underwent surgery on his right wrist mid-way through the 2022 season. That kept him off the courts until January 2023.
As a result, his ranking dropped from the top 50 to outside the top 200.
How did Lloyd Harris make history in Dubai in 2021?
Lloyd Harris became the first qualifier ever to reach the final of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships since its inception in 1993. The South African beat top seed Dominic Thiem, 14th seed Filip Krajinovic, former US Open champion Kei Nishokori, and then Denis Shapovalov. Only Aslan Karatsev, in the final, stopped him from taking his first ATP Tour title.
What is Lloyd Harris’s nationality?
Lloyd Harris, born on February 24, 1997, is South African. He was born and lives in Cape Town. He is 26 years old and his family includes mother, Cecelia, and sister, Monique.
What is Lloyd Harris’s nickname?
Lloyd Harris’s nickname is “King”. In an interview to Agence France Presse, Harris shared the backstory of how he earned the nickname of “King”.
“I was only 19 when I made it into the South Africa Davis Cup team which was a group full of older guys, 27, 28, and into their 30s,” Harris said. “I started beating all of them all the time so one of the guys, Nicolaas Scholtz, said I was the king of all of them.”
At what age did Lloyd Harris first play tennis?
Harris started playing tennis when he was three years old but also played rugby, cricket, athletics and swimming. He only dedicated himself to tennis when he was around 15, something he says stopped him from becoming bored.
“That kept me excited for tennis and I kept on enjoying it. That was great,” Harris said. “Back in South Africa, I was lucky enough to be in great schools and have all the facilities and stuff that I needed.”
Who is Lloyd Harris’s coach?
Harris is coached by Anthony Harris (no relation) in Cape Town, South Africa.
How many ATP Tour titles has Lloyd Harris won?
Lloyd Harris has yet to win a title on Tour but has made two finals. He reached his first final in Adelaide in 2020, losing out to Russia’s Andrey Rublev. He made a second final, in Dubai in 2021, but was beaten by another Russian, Aslan Karatsev.
What is Lloyd Harris’s best ranking?
Harris reached his career-high ATP ranking of No 31 after his run to the quarter-finals at the US Open in 2021. You can find his current and updated ranking on his ATP Tour profile page.
What are Lloyd Harris’s hobbies?
Harris is a big fan of English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, having only really got into them a few years ago.
“When I started watching, I took a big liking in some of their players. Heung-min Son, Harry Kane probably my favourites,” Harris said in Adelaide in 2020. “Then I just started supporting them. Got the shirt, got everything that goes with it. And to be honest, I have been following them like every single match. Now I’m a diehard fan, for sure.”
Is Lloyd Harris on social media?
Yes, you can follow Lloyd Harris on Instagram, where he has more than 28,700 followers; on X (Twitter), where he has just over 2,600 followers and on Facebook, where he is followed by more than 1,500 people. (as of October 7, 2023).
