Lloyd Harris turned professional in 2015 and graced a Grand Slam event for the first time in 2018 – when he made it through the qualifiers for the US Open.
In 2019, he reached the main draw at all four majors and broke into the world’s top 100. With his star on the rise, the South African enjoyed an even more productive 2021 as he reached the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows and rose as high as 31 in the global rankings.
Having become the highest-ranked player in African tennis, the challenge is now to maintain momentum while avoiding any untimely stumble in a backward direction. Harris is not expected to challenge Rafael Nadal for ultimate glory at the French Open in May, with a clay court master 11/10 for a 14th Paris crown in tennis betting online, but he can be competitive and maintain the standards displayed to this point.
Anybody who reaches the last eight of a Grand Slam must have something about them, while three successive appearances at Roland-Garros suggest that a big-hitting Cape Town native can hold his own when operating on a red surface.
Belief would appear to be the biggest hurdle for Harris to overcome, as he has already crashed out of the Australian Open at the first round stage this year. That was not part of the plan and a professional script needs to be rewritten quickly if it is to avoid becoming a horror show.
Challenges
Some notable scalps have been secured in the past, which are the clearest indicator yet of what Harris is capable of. He has overcome US Open champion Dominic Thiem in Dubai, while a trip to Washington in 2021 saw Nadal – who is now the most decorated player of all time in the men’s game – brought down to earth with a bump.
The ability is clearly there, as are the opportunities after clambering up a star-studded pecking order, but can more potential be unlocked? Sporting history is littered with tales of talents that burst onto a scene and burned brightly for a brief period of time before fading back into the darkness. Harris must ensure that his name is not added to that unfortunate roll of honor.
As renowned South African coach John-Laffnie de Jager has pointed out, a whole new set of challenges are having to be overcome. He has said: “Your second year is your tough year because people have started to figure you out.”
Opponents are now fully aware of Harris’ strengths, but will also have taken note of his weaknesses. Those at the very highest level are masters of picking at a thread until it starts to unravel, with sustained success achieved in a variety of forms.
Harris has to start acknowledging that and learn some dark arts himself. Not every victory will be secured with a swagger, with the best in the business capable of achieving the same result when not at their best.
Much of that ability comes through experience and a man who has been part of the picture for over seven years now needs to ensure that he does not suffer a serious case of second-season syndrome when rubbing shoulders with the elite.
Categories: News
Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/
