SA’s Lloyd Harris hits career-high in world rankings

South Africa’s Lloyd Harris hit a career-high in the official ATP tennis rankings issued on Monday, climbing to 46th in the world.

The 24-year-old moved up three places from 49 to be South Africa’s best-placed tennis player in the world.

Harris has enjoyed a remarkable year and has so far banked $728,315 (about R10.7 million) in prize money.

The former Capetonian has beaten top 10 players Dominic Thiem as well a Rafael Nadal in recent months.

Countryman Kevin Anderson, a former Wimbledon finalist, slipped down one spot to 76 in the rankings.

Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic, who has won all three majors this year and is eyeing a calendar Slam with the US Open set to be played soon, has now spent a record 334 weeks in top spot, well ahead of next-best Roger Federer, who managed 310 and is now down at number nine and faces several months out of action while he undergoes further knee surgery, according to AFP. 

Federer said on Sunday he “will be out for many months”, a decision which casts further doubt on his future in tennis at the age of 40.

“I will be on crutches for many weeks and out of the game for many months,” 20-time Grand Slam title winner Federer said in a video posted on his Instagram account.

Daniil Medvedev remains at number two after his victory in Toronto on Sunday while the man he beat in the final, the American Reilly Opelka, climbed nine places to 23.

Norwegian Casper Ruud continues to knock on the door of the Top 10, moving up one place to 11, shadowed by the Pole Hubert Hurkacz, who beat Federer in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon. 

ATP rankings as of August 16

1. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 12,113 pts
2. Daniil Medvedev (RUS) 10,620
3. Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) 8,350
4. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 7,815
5. Alexander Zverev (GER) 7,263
6. Dominic Thiem (AUT) 7,005
7. Andrey Rublev (RUS) 6,005
8. Matteo Berrettini (ITA) 5,533
9. Roger Federer (SUI) 4,215
10. Denis Shapovalov (CAN) 3,625
11. Casper Ruud (NOR) 3,350 (+1)
12. Hubert Hurkacz (POL) 3,288 (+1) 
13. Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP) 3,260 (-2)
14. Diego Schwartzman (ARG) 2,980
15. Jannik Sinner (ITA) 2,745
16. Roberto Bautista (ESP) 2,720 (+1)
17. Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) 2,693 (-1)
18. Alex De Minaur (AUS) 2,600
19. David Goffin (BEL) 2,513
20. Cristian Garín (CHI) 2,510