Lleyton Hewitt, a former World no. 1
For a man who has been a two-time Grand Slam champion and holder of the World no. 1 ranking for 80 weeks on the trot, Lleyton Hewitt hardly commands the kind of respect that he so deservingly should. By reaching the number 1 position in 2001 at the age of 20 years, he also became the youngest ever player to have reached the summit of World Tennis.
Style of play…
Hewitt’s style of play has always centred on a ‘never-say-die’ spirit and strong legs that made him one of the best baseline and defense players of the modern generation. Also, former World no. 1, Andre Agassi, in his book ‘Open’ has described Hewitt as one of the best shot selectors in the history of the game. During his peak years in 2001 and 2002, Hewitt also possessed a very intelligent ‘lob’ that forced the likes of Jon McEnroe to describe it as the best he’s ever seen in the men’s game.
2001 US Open…
Both his major titles, the US Open and Wimbledon were won in quick session. His maiden success came at New York in 2001 where he defeated Pete Sampras in the final in straight sets. 2001 was a particularly successful year for the Australian who won a total of six titles in that year, including the season-ending Tennis Masters Cup.
Success at SW19…
The biggest win of his career came in the following year at the All England Club. Hewitt, who was at the peak of his powers by then and was the best player in the world by a distance was considered to be the favourite at Wimbledon, despite never having won there before. However, things remained true to the form book and Hewitt had his date with destiny as he picked his 1st title there. Once again, Hewitt won a Grand Slam final in straight sets, this time his win coming over Argentine David Nalbandian.
Success on grass…
Grass has been the most favoured surface for Hewitt with the Australian’s record of not having lost a final on that surface being something that even his long-time rival Roger Federer and six-time Wimbledon champion cannot boast of. Hewitt, as a matter of fact, defeated Federer in the final of the Gerry Weber Open at Halle, 2010; it was the first time in six years that Federer had lost at Halle.
Truth about his rivalry with Federer!
Like in the case with most of his match-ups, Roger Federer leads in his share of matches played against Hewitt by a comfortable 17-8 margin. However, not many are aware that Hewitt, at one point in time, had the clear upper hand in their match-ups. By the time, these two players had played against each other for the 9th time at the professional level, the Australian had an ominous 7-2 record against the Swiss!
Injuries…
Hewitt has been unlucky to have been sidelined on the tour with a number of injuries. Multiple surgeries including the latest one in 2009, on his hip, haven’t helped matters and it’s been widely speculated that Hewitt’s final days on the tour may not be that far away. But to his credit, the man’s always been known for his competitiveness, and as his win over Federer this year proved that he could still compete at the highest level, against the very best.
Relationship with Kim Clijsters…
Hewitt was in the news for a long time in the mid 2000s for his relationship with Belgian Kim Clijsters. The couple even got engaged but Clijsters reportedly called off the engagement citing ‘long distance’ issues. Hewitt subsequently got married to Australian actress Bec Cartwright in 2005, only six weeks after they’d started dating.
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