Lloyd Harris at the 2021 Us Open, Source : RTBF
March 2018, takes place the "ITF Portugal 5", a tournament of the future circuit in which players who do not yet have their place in the main circuit also called "ATP" are competing.
Lloyd Harris is 19 years old and may be playing in one of his last tournaments due to the financial difficulties of the secondary circuit.
Far from his origins and facing the pressure to succeed, Lloyd Harris has to deal with an additional factor : the tragic death of his father the night before his first match.
Despite a low mental state and intense pain in his spine, the South African decided to continue playing.
With courage, Lloyd Harris won the two tournaments on his Portuguese tour, a real achievement already demonstrating a tremendous strength of character and mental toughness of the young player.
Lloyd Harris playing the the Mallorca ATP tournament
Credit : Tennis Tv
A constant progression during the 2019 and 2020 seasons will allow him to make a place in the top 100 and to evolve at the highest level.
This past season should have been an opportunity for the young South African talent to continue to climb the ladder, but hampered by a wrist injury that required surgery, Harris was never able to play at his best level those past years.
Although the 25-year-old player seems to have been forgotten by the general public due to his absence in recent months, Lloyd Harris could well make an explosive return to competition, reminding the tennis world of his immense potential.
Power as the main weapon
Solid on both sides, Lloyd Harris belongs to the offensive category of players on the circuit.
Particularly powerful on the forehand, the South African almost systematically shortens the exchanges with his heavy hitting.
"Harris has everything, He can be a top 20, top 10 player."
Kei Nishikori
His game is therefore built around flat shots aimed at quickly gaining the upper hand over his opponent.
Harris doesn't particularly use the slice except on the backhand in defensive situations and can use his forehand to regain the advantage in a rally.
Harris after his win over Nadal at the Washington Open
Credit : TimesLive
“The truth is, his serve was huge”.
Rafael Nadal
Despite a particularly powerful hitting style, the South African's main weapon lies in his ability to serve.
Although Lloyd Harris, who stands at 6'3 doesn't make as many aces as some of the other giants of the circuit, his serve often allows him to get a chance to quickly get the lead over his opponent.
What to expect from Lloyd Harris ?
Back in the top 200, Harris has proved over the last few months his ability to be competitive in the world of tennis. While this season has seen him return to the tennis scene, we will probably have to wait until 2024 to see the South African perform on a regular basis in ATP Tour tournaments
Having a game that adapts well to outdoor hard court as well as indoor play, it would not be surprising to see Harris shining at the very end of the season during the indoor tournaments events.
As one of his nation's last representatives on the circuit, Lloyd Harris could well give a new boost to African tennis..
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