SA tennis star Lloyd Harris
He banters with Roger Federer in Afrikaans, says his long hair is his strength and has his sights set on the No 1 seed in the world. Meet SA’s top-ranked tennis player Lloyd Harris
HIS last few days have been rather bumpy. He lost his first ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) match of the year on clay and he’s still nursing a wrist injury – but South Africa’s latest sensation isn’t about to let it get the better of him.
Professional sport is all about taking the rough with the smooth, dealing with the knocks and picking yourself up again to prepare for the next big match.
And there are plenty of big matches coming up, including ATP tournaments in Madrid, Rome and Lyon as he builds towards the French Open at Roland-Garros in Paris on 24 May.
Lloyd Harris is speaking to us via video call from his hotel room in Estoril, Portugal, shortly before his appearance in the Estoril Open, where he lost his firstround match.
Before he injured his wrist, Lloyd (24) was in superb form, rocketing into the top 50 of the world rankings and replacing veteran Kevin Anderson as SA’s No 1 tennis player.
The lanky Capetonian secured victories over some of the best in the business, including world No 4 Dominic Thiem; multiple Grand Slam-winner Stan Wawrinka; and rising star Denis Shapovalov, who’s ranked 11th in the world.
Lloyd’s injury saw him slipping to 53rd place but he received extensive specialist treatment in the Middle East and is hoping to claw his way back up the ladder again.
Until the beginning of the year the tennis star was based in Cape Town but he’s moved to Dubai as it’s easier to travel to tournaments from there.
“It’s an interesting change for me,” he says. “Summer in Dubai is a lot hotter than SA but in winter it’s the perfect place to train. I’m there mostly from December to prepare for the Australian summer and the tournaments there. It’s great to have good players to practise against.”
LANKY Lloyd, who stands 1,93m in his socks, is known for his booming serves but his hair gets him an equal amount of attention. A young Björn Borg, some have said, or a second Stefanos Tsitsipas, the world No 5.
Lloyd doesn’t mind the comparisons and has no intention of lopping off his locks.
“I like the look. I decided to grow my hair out of the blue but getting a haircut now will cut away at my appearance and my strength,” he jokes.
That strength has been built up over two decades of dedication. Lloyd was just four when he could serve from the
back line and, although he was good at most sports, tennis was his first love.
He grew up in Durbanville next to a tennis court with his parents, George and Cecelia, and sister, Monique. His dad was in hospital management and his mom has her own range of sports clothing.
“We all played tennis,” Lloyd says. “I had enough coordination and capability to play any other sport well and my dad wanted me to play rugby but my mom recognised my talent.
“She knew I was different to other children. She and dad were so financially supportive, even though they didn’t have a lot of money.”
At 19 he donned the green and gold to play in the world cup of tennis, the Davis Cup. He was nicknamed “The King” by his Davis Cup teammates thanks in part to his signature mane.
By his 20th birthday he’d raked in 20 titles in the “nursery school” of professional tennis, the Futures series. At 21 he had his first Challenger triumph.
At 22 he won his first set on Wimbledon’s main court – against his role model Roger Federer no less. Roger’s mom, Lynette, was born in Germiston and the tennis ace and Lloyd have a special connection as a result.
“Roger trash-talks me in Afrikaans when we play each other,” Lloyd says. “I have to remind him all the time: ‘Buddy, your Afrikaans isn’t that good.’ Half the time I don’t even know what he’s talking about. ‘Go back to Lynette [Roger’s mom] and get the right words,’ I joke with him.”
Lloyd’s visit to Portugal is bittersweet. He was in the country for the Vilamoura Open Tournament in March 2018 when he received a call that pulled the rug out from under his feet.
His dad, whom he’d chatted to just the previous day, had died suddenly of a heart attack. “It was the day before the competition and I didn’t know whether I should stay or go,” he recalls. “Eventually I decided to stay because that’s what he would’ve wanted.”
He spent the day weeping in bed, then went on to win the tournament. From there he went to Lisbon, where he won again.
“I bought myself a Tag Heuer watch with the prize money in memory of my dad. I wasn’t earning much yet so it was a big thing for me. Those two weeks were the best and hardest of my life.”
LLOYD is looking forward to seeing his family in SA at his sister’s wedding in December. Monique was also a top tennis player, he says, but now she and her fiancé prefer golf.
“I’ve started playing with them,” he says.
Dubai may have some of the best golf courses in the world but he doesn’t have much time to pe r f e c t h i s swing – not when he spends up to seven hours a day on the court.
“In tennis you compete a ridiculous amount,” he says. “You play a tournament virtually every week but outside of competitions is where the hard work really is.”
He fuels himself by eating well: breakfast is typically eggs, fruit and yoghurt and lunch is pasta with a protein.
“I avoid too much bread and various sauces,” he says. “I’m a very picky eater so that’s why it’s easy to eat healthily.”
Sharing his passions and pursuits is his girlfriend, Biance van Zyl (21). They’ve been dating for three years and she’s a good tennis player too.
“She had a bursary to go to America but decided to study at Stellenbosch,” says Lloyd, who attended Curro, an independent school in Durbanville.
“It helps that she understands my life and supports me. She creates a super-comfortable environment around the tournaments.”
Before the pandemic they enjoyed travelling and learnt to surf together in Bali.
When he isn’t hammering balls around the court or spending time with Biance, you’ll find him watching English Premier League soccer or playing a Fantasy League game.
His main goal is to become the No 1-ranked tennis player in the world. “I wouldn’t say I have a Plan B,” Lloyd says.
“I have an interest in the business world and am sure I could flourish there too. But for now it’s just tennis.”
‘THOSE WEEKS WERE THE BEST AND HARDEST OF MY LIFE’