Australian tennis legend Lleyton Hewitt, former world number one and winner of two Grand Slam titles, was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday at a ceremony in Newport, USA. United, on the sidelines of the ATP 250 tournament. Hewitt won the US Open in 2001 and the Wimbledon tournament in 2002 for a total of 30 career ATP titles. He was also involved in Australia’s Davis Cup victories in 1999 and 2003.
The ceremony was due to take place last year, but the 41-year-old champion, from Adelaide, was unable to travel to the United States from Australia due to Covid-19, which is why his induction was postponed. been postponed for a year. “I think I needed that extra year to find the right words“said Hewitt. “It’s an incredible honor for me. The presence of my family and friends made the ceremony even more special».
Youngest world number 1
The ceremony took place on the court where Hewitt won his first ATP match on grass as a teenager in 1998. A precocious talent, Hewitt became the youngest world No. , 8 months and 26 days, in November 2001. He finished first in the ATP rankings at the end of the 2001 and 2002 seasons. His mental strength combined with his speed and skillful shots made him a threat on all surfaces, concluding his greatest hits by his “Come on» («Go on»).
The Australian icon won his first ATP title in Adelaide in 1998 and his last in 2014 at the Newport tournament, beating Ivo Karlovic. Hewitt finished his career with 616 wins to 262 losses in ATP singles. “I feel lucky to have been able to play with several generations“, said Hewitt, “to have been able to play against my heroes like Andre Agassi and Pete Samprasas well as against legends Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
