Lloyd Harris’s US Open ends in brave Round 2 defeat

South Africa’s tennis star, Lloyd Harris, left everything on the court in a gruelling Round 2 battle lasting 3 hours and 27 minutes against Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas on Wednesday.

Despite falling in four sets with a final scoreline of 6-7 (7/1), 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, the 29-year-old Capetonian delivered a performance that signalled his undeniable return to top-tier tennis.

Coming off an extended absence from the main ATP Tour, Harris dominated the first-set tiebreaker before Tsitsipas fought back to claim the victory.

“I’ve been absent from the main tour for a long time, so it was good to show people I’m back and can still do it. Hopefully, the word spreads,” Harris said post-match.

A major factor throughout the clash on Court 17 – often light-heartedly referred to as the “marijuana court” by players and fans due to the pervasive smell in the area – was the unusual ball condition, which severely hampered high-speed serving.

The balls swelled up significantly, leaving Harris to remark that they were nearly twice the size of normal tennis balls.

Unable to rely on flat, high-speed bombs for free points, Harris adapted his strategy to focus on opening up the court, constructing points, and leaning on sharp net play to gain the advantage.

Dismissing suggestions that he ran out of stamina late in the fourth set, Lloyd Harris insisted his body felt up to the task.

He noted that while everyone feels the strain after nearly three and a half hours, he felt strong enough to win had he dragged the match into a fifth set.

While the New York crowd initially backed Tsitsipas, Harris’s relentless fighting spirit gradually turned the stadium in his favour, eventually prompting chants of his name from the stands.

Even while navigating courtside distractions, including an overzealous fan shouting mid-serve motion, the South African maintained his composure.

Looking ahead to the rest of the season, Harris remains optimistic about his trajectory, noting that he can take plenty of positive lessons from the performance, reflect on where to improve, and come back even stronger.

Lloyd Harris, who saw his world ranking climb to 135th, banked $190 000 (R3 million) for his efforts at this year’s US Open.

Dave Marshall is reporting exclusively from the 2026 US Open in New York for The South African.