By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Wednesday, October 18, 2024
Lleyton Hewitt will receive a Hall of Fame homecoming at the Australian Open.
Former world No. 1 Hewitt will be inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame on Wednesday, January 24th during the second week of the Australian Open.
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The 42-year-old Hewitt will 46 other Aussie tennis greats with a bronze statue on the grounds of Melbourne Park.
It’s the second Hall of Fame honor for the Adelaide, Australia native. Hewitt was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport in 2021.
Wearing his trademark backward baseball cap, the feisty former Aussie Rules football player had a well-earned reputation as one of the most hard-core competitors of his era. Hewitt captured 30 career singles titles, including defeating Pete Sampras to win the 2001 US Open days before 9/11 and beating David Nalbandian to win the 2002 Wimbledon title.
Hewitt also partnered Max Mirnyi to claim the 2000 US Open men’s doubles championship, was runner-up to Marat Safin at the 2005 Australian Open and forged memorable rivalries with several top players of his era, including Roger Federer, Andy Roddick and Juan Carlos Ferrero.
A passionate Davis Cup competitor, Hewitt and good friend and fellow Hall of Famer Patrick Rafter helped lead the green-and-gold to the 1999 Davis Cup championship. Hewitt has served as Aussie Davis Cup captain for several years, including guiding the squad to the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, Spain later this year.
The Hall of Fame induction likely won’t be the last tennis fans see of Hewitt. His son, 14-year-old Cruz Hewitt, has won multiple ITF World Tennis Tour Junior titles.
Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve
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