South African tennis star Lloyd Harris has booked his place in the US Open main draw after successfully negotiating three rounds of qualifying.
South African tennis star Lloyd Harris has booked his place in the US Open main draw after successfully negotiating three rounds of qualifying.
The qualification is a boost for the 29-year-old, who has battled injuries and inconsistent form in recent seasons, but remains South Africa’s leading men’s tennis players.
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Harris beat Australia’s Bernard Tomic in the first round 6-2, 5-7, 6-2. He followed that up with a second round win over Portugal’s Henrique Rocha 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (12/10).
In the third and final round, Harris proved too strong for Spain’s Pablo Llamas Ruiz, winning 7-6 (7/3), 6-3.
Harris previously enjoyed a memorable run at the US Open, reaching the quarter-finals in 2021, his best Grand Slam performance to date.
This year’s tournament will be his **seventh **appearance at a US Open.
Harris, currently ranked 139th in the world, will take on American wildcard Jack Kennedy in the first round.
Should he win that match, Harris will face of the winner between Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas and 10th-seed Arthur Fils of France in Round 2.
First round losers at the US Open this year will take home $140 000 (R2.26 million).
Harris’ place in this year’s tournament gives him another opportunity to produce a deep run on a surface where his powerful serve and aggressive baseline game can be particularly effective.
The 2026 US Open gets under way at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on Sunday, 30 August.
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