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John Lloyd (tennis)

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John Lloyd
Lloyd at the Dutch Open in 1975
Country (sports) United Kingdom
ResidenceCalifornia, USA
Born (1954-08-27) 27 August 1954 (age 70)
Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, England
Height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
PlaysRight-handed (one-handed backhand)
Prize money$598,092
Singles
Career record204–258
Career titles1
Highest rankingNo. 21 (23 July 1978)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian OpenF (1977Dec)
French Open3R (1978, 1982)
Wimbledon3R (1973, 1984, 1985)
US OpenQF (1984)
Doubles
Career record206–239
Career titles2
Highest rankingNo. 34 (8 September 1986)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open3R (1984, 1985)
French OpenQF (1986)
WimbledonQF (1982)
US OpenQF (1984)
Mixed doubles
Career titles3
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Australian Open1R (1989)
French OpenW (1982)
WimbledonW (1983, 1984)

John Lloyd (born 27 August 1954) is a former professional tennis player who reached an ATP world ranking of 21 from 23 July 1978 to 30 July 1978 and who was ranked as UK number 1 in 1984 and 1985. He now works as sports commentator.

During his career, he reached one Grand Slam singles final and won three Grand Slam mixed doubles titles with tennis partner Wendy Turnbull, the French Open in 1982 and Wimbledon in 1983 and 1984. He was the first husband of the former top woman player Chris Evert and is the younger brother of the former British Davis Cup captain David Lloyd. He served as the British Davis Cup Captain Himself from August 2006 – March 2010.[1] He is a Member of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.

Education

Lloyd was educated at Southend High School for Boys, a state grammar school in Southend-on-Sea in Essex, in South East England.[2]

Life and career

At the Australian Open in December 1977, Lloyd became the first British male tennis player in the Open era to reach a Grand Slam singles final. He lost in five sets to America's Vitas Gerulaitis 6–3, 7–6, 5–7, 3–6, 6–2. No other British player reached a Grand Slam final for 20 years, until British-Canadian Greg Rusedski reached the US Open final in 1997. In 1984 he reached the quarter-finals of the US Open. Lloyd never progressed beyond the third round in singles play at Wimbledon.

Though he never won a Grand Slam singles titles, Lloyd did win three Grand Slam mixed doubles titles partnering Australia's Wendy Turnbull, beginning with the French Open mixed doubles in 1982. The pair finished runners-up in the mixed doubles at Wimbledon that year, and then went on to win the Wimbledon mixed doubles crown in both 1983 and 1984.

Lloyd's career-high singles ranking was World No. 21 in 1978. He was a member of the British team that reached the final of the Davis Cup that year with Lloyd himself losing in straight sets in the singles to Brian Gottfried and to a 19-year-old John McEnroe.[3] As a player, he represented the British Davis Cup team for 11 years. His career-high doubles ranking was World No. 34 in 1986. As his playing career came to an end, Lloyd stayed within the tennis world, finding work as a coach and television commentator, and appearing on the veterans circuit.

In 2006, Lloyd was appointed the captain of Great Britain's Davis Cup team, replacing Jeremy Bates.[4] Lloyd's reign started very well, with successive victories taking the team back into the World Group, but after the retirement of both Greg Rusedski and Tim Henman in 2007 the team suffered five successive defeats, their worst run in Davis Cup history, to drop back down to the third tier of the competition. Lloyd resigned as coach in mid-2010.[5]

Commentator

Since the 1990s, Lloyd has been a commentator and analyst for the BBC's tennis coverage, particularly at Wimbledon. Lloyd is known for his trademark catchphrases, using the analogy of food and drink to describe tennis shots. For example, if a shot is too weak he will claim that it was "undercooked" or "needed more mustard." Conversely, if a shot is overhit he will describe it as "overcooked", having "too much juice", or "having too much mustard."

He worked for Sky Sports on their coverage of the US Open 2009.

Personal life

John Lloyd and Chris Evert in Fort Lauderdale ca. 1978

In 1979, Lloyd married the World No. 1 woman player, American Chris Evert (who became Chris Evert-Lloyd). The media-styled "golden couple" of tennis enjoyed several years in the limelight before a separation, a short-lived reconciliation, and eventual divorce in 1987. Because of Evert's higher profile tennis career, Lloyd was sometimes jokingly referred to in the press as "Mr. Evert".[6]

Lloyd is a supporter of the football team Wolverhampton Wanderers. It is because of Lloyd's influence that Andy Murray is also a Wolves fan and is often seen wearing the Wolves shirt that was presented to him by Lloyd.[7]

Grand Slam finals

Singles : 1 (1 runner-up)

Year Championship Opponent in Final Score in Final
1977 Australian Open (December) United States Vitas Gerulaitis 3–6, 6–7(1–7), 7–5, 6–3, 2–6

Mixed doubles (4)

Wins (3)

Year Championship Partner Opponents in Final Score in Final
1982 French Open Australia Wendy Turnbull Brazil Cláudia Monteiro
Brazil Cássio Motta		 6–2, 7–6
1983 Wimbledon Australia Wendy Turnbull United States Billie Jean King
United States Steve Denton		 6–7(5–7), 7–6(7–5), 7–5
1984 Wimbledon (2nd) Australia Wendy Turnbull United States Kathy Jordan
United States Steve Denton		 6–3, 6–3

Runners-up (1)

Year Championship Partner Opponents in Final Score in Final
1982 Wimbledon Australia Wendy Turnbull United States Anne Smith
South Africa Kevin Curren		 2–6, 6–3, 7–5

Grand Prix Championship Series singles finals

Runner-up (1)

Year Championship Opponent in Final Score in Final
1977 London Sweden Björn Borg 4–6, 4–6, 3–6

Other Career Titles

Singles (1)

No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent in the final Score
1. 25 August 1974 Merion Unknown United States John Whitlinger 6–0, 4–6, 6–3, 7–5

Doubles (2)

No. Date Tournament Surface Partnering Opponents in the final Score
1. 6 November 1976 London Carpet United Kingdom David Lloyd United Kingdom John Feaver
Australia John James 		6–4, 3–6, 6–2
2. 7 October 1979 Hawaii Hard United States Nick Saviano Australia Rod Frawley
Paraguay Francisco González 		7–5, 6–4

References and notes

  1. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/8573540.stm
  2. ^ "John Lloyd: My new life as an estate agent". TheTennisSpace.com. 10 February 2012. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  3. ^ Jewell, Alan (25 November 2015). "Davis Cup final: Buster Mottram & story of Britain's 1978 campaign". BBC. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  4. ^ "Lloyd is new GB Davis Cup captain" BBC Sport, 9 August 2006
  5. ^ "Lloyd resigns as GB Cup captain". BBC News. 18 March 2010.
  6. ^ "Lloyd`s Fond Memories Of Old Neighborhood Dim With Loss". Sun Sentinel. 22 July 1988. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  7. ^ Blogger (4 February 2009). "Guess Who?". andymurray.com. Archived from the original on 30 April 2009. Retrieved 4 February 2009.
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