Autograph Corner: John Lloyd

From humble beginnings in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, England, John Lloyd and his brothers, David and Tony, have had great success in the tennis world with all three appearing in the main singles draw of the 1977 Wimbledon Championships. 

Above: Dear John: The John Lloyd Autobiography. Photo: Pitch Publishing. 

John Lloyd has been able to make his mark in tennis by competing and winning at the highest levels of the sport. He has worn many other hats in tennis, including as Davis Cup Captain for Great Britain and as a broadcaster. He is also well known in tennis circles for his marriage to Chris Evert from 1979-1987. Lloyd's impressive resume includes author. He has written an outstanding new book, Dear John: The John Lloyd Autobiography. The book, a great read with a foreword by Bjorn Borg, has been shortlisted for the Sunday Times Book Awards 2023. Interspersed throughout the entertaining and interesting book, Lloyd writes "letters" of advice to his younger self with wisdom gained through the years.

Above: Chris Evert and John Lloyd. Photo: @ArtSeitz

Lloyd's accomplishments as a player are numerous and impressive. He is a former British number one and three time Major Champion in mixed doubles at Roland Garros in 1982 and at Wimbledon in 1983 and 1984 with "The Rabbit", Wendy Turnbull. He reached the singles final in the 1977 Australian Open and lost to his good friend, the late Vitas Gerulaitis. Lloyd and Gerulaitis were so close that they actually warmed up together before the match. Can you picture John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl warming up together before the 1984 Roland Garros final or any match for that matter?

Above: John Lloyd practicing his serve. Photo: @ArtSeitz.

Lloyd's career-high singles ranking was World No. 21 in 1978. He was a member of the Great Britain team that reached the final of the 1978 Davis Cup and lost to the United States. He served as the British Davis Cup captain from August 2006 until March 2010. He is a member of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Since the 1990s, he has been a commentator for BBC's tennis coverage with a particular focus on Wimbledon. When Lloyd is not immersed in the tennis world he enjoys living in West Palm Beach, Florida, and rooting for his favorite football team, the Wolverhampton Wandererers.

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Adam Ross is a contributing writer for Florida Tennis and a volunteer for the USTA Florida. He is also the Vice-President of the Tennis Collectors of America/TCA. He welcomes your comments at robinadam@comcast.net. This article also appears in the September-October 2023 issue of Florida Tennis Magazine. Be sure to subscribe for expanded coverage, exclusive interviews, and in-depth tennis news. Top Photo: John Lloyd Tennis