Lleyton Hewitt
 |
|
| Country |  Australia |
|---|---|
| Residence |
Adelaide, South Australia Sydney, NSW Nassau, Bahamas [1] |
| Date of birth | 24 February 1981 |
| Place of birth | Adelaide, South Australia |
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) |
| Weight | 77 kg (170 lb; 12.1 st) |
| Turned pro | 1998 |
| Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| Career prize money | US$18,291,036 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 540–190 (Grand Slam, ATP Tour level, and Davis Cup) |
| Career titles | 28 |
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (19 November 2001) |
| Current ranking | No. 34 (23 August 2010) |
| Grand Slam results | |
| Australian Open | F (2005) |
| French Open | QF (2001, 2004) |
| Wimbledon | W (2002) |
| US Open | W (2001) |
| Other tournaments | |
| Tour Finals | W (2001, 2002) |
| Olympic Games | 2R (2008) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 85–58 (Grand Slam, ATP Tour level, and Davis Cup) |
| Career titles | 2 |
| Highest ranking | No. 18 (23 October 2000) |
| Grand Slam Doubles results | |
| Australian Open | 3R (1998, 2000) |
| French Open | 2R (1999) |
| Wimbledon | 3R (2000) |
| US Open | W (2000) |
| Last updated on: 2 August 2010. | |
Lleyton Glynn Hewitt (pronounced /ˈleɪtən ˈhjuː.ɨt/[2]) (born 24 February 1981) is a professional tennis player, and a former World No. 1 ranked player, from Australia. In 2000, Hewitt had won ATP titles on all three major surfaces (hard, clay and grass) and reached one final on carpet. By 2001, he became the youngest male ever to be ranked number one, at the age of 20. His career achievements include winning the 2000 US Open men's doubles, the 2001 US Open and 2002 Wimbledon men's singles, and back-to-back Tennis Masters Cup titles (2001 and 2002). In 2005, TENNIS Magazine put Hewitt in 34th place on its list of the 40 greatest tennis players since 1965.[3]
Hewitt is known for his competitiveness[4][5][6] and has won most of his matches with fitness, consistency and skilled footwork.
Contents |
Tennis career
Hewitt might well have followed in the footsteps of his Australian rules football-playing father Glynn. Instead, he became one of the youngest winners of an Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) tournament when, as an almost unknown youngster, he won the 1998 Next Generation Adelaide International, defeating Andre Agassi in the semifinals. Only Aaron Krickstein winning Tel Aviv in 1983 and Michael Chang winning San Francisco in 1988 were younger when claiming their first ATP title. Hewitt then left Immanuel College to concentrate on his tennis career.[7]
2000
In 2000, Hewitt reached his first Grand Slam final at the Wimbledon mixed doubles partnering Belgian Kim Clijsters. They lost the match 6–4, 7–6 to Americans Kimberly Po and Donald Johnson. Hewitt would later win his first Grand Slam title at the US Open when he along with Max Mirnyi claimed the men's doubles championship; thus becoming the youngest male (at 19 years, 6 months) to win a slam doubles crown in the Open Era.[8] At the end of the year, Hewitt became the first teenager in ATP history to ever qualify for the year-end Tennis Masters Cup (ATP World Tour Finals).[9]
2001
Hewitt started off the 2001 season well by winning the Medibank International in Sydney, and would go on to win tournaments in London (Queen's Club) and 's-Hertogenbosch. He captured his first Grand Slam singles title at the US Open in 2001, when he blitzed former World #1 Yevgeny Kafelnikov in the semifinals and defeated then-four time champion Pete Sampras the next day in straight sets. This win made Hewitt, Pat Rafter, and Kafelnikov as the only active ATP players to win a Grand Slam singles and doubles title during their career. Hewitt has since been the last player to achieve this feat. Lleyton went on to win the Tokyo Open and again qualify for the year-end Tennis Masters Cup held in Sydney. During the tournament, Hewitt won all matches in his group before defeating Sébastien Grosjean 6–3, 6–3, 6–4 in the finals to take the title and gain the world number 1 ranking.
The year 2001 is considered to be Hewitt's best year, winning a total of 6 titles. He was also nominated for the 2001 best sport's player award by state premier Isaac Narouz.
2002
The year 2002 would again be a solid year for Hewitt winning three titles in San Jose, Indian Wells and London (Queen's Club). He followed his 2001 US Open win by capturing the Wimbledon singles title, dominating first-time finalist David Nalbandian in straight sets; Hewitt lost only two sets throughout the entire championship. His victory reinforced the idea that although the tournament had tended to be dominated by serve-and-volleyers, a baseliner could still triumph on grass (Hewitt was the first baseliner to win the tournament since Agassi in 1992). Rafael Nadal, who is also a baseliner, won the title in 2008 and 2010.
For his third straight year, Hewitt qualified for the year-end Tennis Masters Cup held in Shanghai and successfully defended his title by defeating Juan Carlos Ferrero in the finals 7–5, 7–5, 2–6, 2–6, 6–4. Hewitt's win helped him finish the year as world number 1 for a second straight year.
2003
In 2003 Hewitt defeated former world #1 Gustavo Kuerten for the championship at Indian Wells. But at Wimbledon, as the defending champion, Hewitt lost in the first round of Wimbledon to qualifier Ivo Karlović. Hewitt became the first defending Wimbledon men's champion in the open era to lose in the first round. Only once before in the tournament's 126-year history had a defending men's champion lost in the opening round, in 1967, when Manuel Santana was beaten by Charlie Pasarell. Hewitt was only the third defending Grand Slam champion in the open era to lose in the first round, after Boris Becker at the 1997 Australian Open and Patrick Rafter at the 1999 US Open. After Wimbledon in 2003, Hewitt lost in the final of the tournament in Los Angeles, the second round of the ATP Masters Series tournament in Montreal, and the first round of the ATP Masters Series tournament in Cincinnati. At the US Open, Hewitt lost in the quarterfinals to Juan Carlos Ferrero 4–6, 6–3, 7–6(5), 6–1. Hewitt played only Davis Cup matches for the remainder of the year, recording five-set wins over Roger Federer and Juan Carlos Ferrero in the semi final and final respectively, as Australia went on to win the Davis Cup. Hewitt used much of his spare time in late 2003 to bulk up, gaining 7 kg.
2004
In 2004, Hewitt became the first man in history to lose in each Grand Slam singles tournament to the eventual champion. At the Australian Open, he was defeated in the fourth round by Swiss Roger Federer. At the French Open, he was defeated in a quarterfinal by Argentine Gastón Gaudio. At Wimbledon, he was defeated in a quarterfinal by Federer. And at the US Open, he was defeated in the final by Federer, losing two out of the three sets at love. At the year ending 2004 Tennis Masters Cup, Hewitt defeated Andy Roddick to advance to the final but was yet again defeated by defending champion Federer .
2005
In 2005, Hewitt won his only title at the Sydney Medibank International. Hewitt spent much time in the late stages of 2004 working with his former coach and good friend, Roger Rasheed, on bulking up his physique. His hard work paid off when he defeated an in form World No. 2 Andy Roddick 3–6, 7–6, 7–6, 6–1 to reach his first Australian Open final where he faced the 4th seed, Marat Safin. After easily taking the first set, he was defeated by the Russian 1–6, 6–3, 6–4, 6–4. At Wimbledon, he reached the semifinals, but lost to eventual champion Federer. Two months later, Hewitt again lost to Federer in the US Open semifinal, although this time he was able to take one set from the Swiss. Hewitt had at this point lost to the eventual champion at seven consecutive Grand Slam tournaments he played (he missed the 2005 French Open because of injury). Hewitt pulled out of the Tennis Masters Cup tournament in Shanghai in November 2005 so that he could be with his wife Bec, who was due to give birth. He was replaced by Gastón Gaudio.
2006
Hewitt was defeated in the second round of the 2006 Australian Open by Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina. He then reached the finals of the San Jose and Las Vegas tournaments, losing to British youngster Andy Murray and American James Blake, respectively. But he lost to Tim Henman 7–6(5), 6–3 in the second round of the Miami Masters, a player he had defeated eight times previously in as many matches. At the 2006 French Open, Hewitt reached the fourth round where he lost to defending champion, and eventual winner, Rafael Nadal in four sets.
Hewitt won his first tournament of 2006 (after a 17 month hiatus from winning a tournament) when he beat Blake 6–4, 6–4 in the finals of the Queen's Club Championships. This was his fourth title there, thereby equalling the records of John McEnroe and Boris Becker. During the 2006 Wimbledon Championships, Hewitt survived a five-set match against South Korea's Hyung-Taik Lee that was played over two days. He then defeated Olivier Rochus and David Ferrer before losing to Marcos Baghdatis in the quarterfinals. At the 2006 Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington, D.C., Hewitt was defeated by Arnaud Clément 7–6(1), 6–4 in a quarterfinal after defeating Vincent Spadea in the second round and Denis Gremelmayr in the third round.
Hewitt participated at the 2006 US Open despite having an injured knee. Hewitt won his first three matches in straight sets against, respectively, Albert Montañés, Jan Hernych, and Novak Đoković. He defeated Richard Gasquet 6–4, 6–4, 4–6, 3–6, 6–3 in the fourth round to advance to the quarterfinals for the seventh consecutive year. He then lost to Roddick 6–3, 7–5, 6–4.
2007
At the 2007 Australian Open, Hewitt lost in the third round to the tenth seeded Chilean and eventual runner-up Fernando González 6–2, 6–2, 5–7, 6–4. With his win in Las Vegas in March 2007, Hewitt has won at least one ATP title annually for ten consecutive years. This was a record among active players at the time.[10]
Hewitt reached the 2007 Hamburg Masters semifinals, where he pushed eventual finalist Rafael Nadal to three sets. At the 2007 French Open, Hewitt, for the 2nd straight time at Roland Garros, lost in the 4th round to Rafael Nadal 6–3, 6–1, 7–6(5). At the 2007 Wimbledon Championships, Hewitt won his first three matches, including a four-set third round victory over Guillermo Cañas. He then faced 4th seed Novak Djokovic in the fourth round which he lost 7–6, 7–6, 4–6, 7–6.
After Wimbledon, it was announced that he had hired former Australian tennis pro, Tony Roche, to coach him during Grand Slam and Masters tournaments in 2007 and 2008.[11] At the Masters tournaments in Montréal and Cincinnati Hewitt reached the quarter- and semifinals, respectively. In both cases, he lost to Roger Federer.
He was seeded 16 at the 2007 U.S. Open, but for the first time in eight consecutive appearances at Flushing Meadows, he did not reach the quarterfinals or further. He lost in the second round to Argentine Agustín Calleri.
2008
At the 2008 Australian Open, he advanced to the fourth round as the 19th seed, defeating 15th-seeded and 2006 Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis in a thrilling third-round match, 4–6, 7–5, 7–5, 6–7 (4), 6–3. The 282 minute match started at 11:52pm and ended at 4:34am[12] the following morning, Melbourne time. It was a characteristically "gutsy" performance and cemented Hewitt's reputation as a tough competitor. Hewitt lost his fourth round match in straight sets to the 3rd seeded and eventual champion Novak Djokovic 7–5, 6–3, 6–3.
A hip injury Hewitt acquired in March 2008 affected his preparation for the French open, and forced the loss of 300 rankings points as Hewitt was unable to defend his Semi Final appearance at the Hamburg Masters as well as compete in supplementary tournaments. However, Hewitt made the third round at Roland Garros before losing a 5 set thriller to fifth seed David Ferrer 6–2, 3–6, 3–6, 6–3, 6–4.
Despite his ongoing hip problem Hewitt was able to compete at the Queens Club Championship with moderate success, falling to second seed Novak Djokovic in the Quarter Finals 2–6, 2–6. His good form continued into Wimbledon, Hewitt making the fourth round for the second successive year before facing world number 1 and first seed Roger Federer, a match that Federer took 7–6(7), 6–2, 6–4.
After Wimbledon Hewitt elected to miss the Montreal and Cincinnati Masters in an effort to give his hip sufficient rest to enable him to play at the 2008 Beijing Olympics where he defeated Jonas Björkman in the first round 7–5 7–6(7–2) before losing to second seed Rafael Nadal 6–1 6–2. However, the more notable incident in the Olympics occurred in Hewitt's opening round doubles match with Chris Guccione against Argentines Juan Mónaco and Agustín Calleri. The match went to an advantage 3rd set with Hewitt and Guccione prevailing 18–16.
After the Olympics due to the further damage Hewitt's hip sustained at the Olympics, he was left with no option but to pull out of the US open and skip the rest of the season to have hip surgery.
2008 was the first year since 1997 where Hewitt didn't win a title.
2009
After returning from hip surgery, Hewitt played his first match in 2009 at the Hopman Cup, where he defeated Nicolas Kiefer in three sets. Hewitt then participated in the Medibank International Sydney, winning his first two matches, but losing in the quarterfinals to David Nalbandian. Hewitt then went on to play in the 2009 Australian Open, where he was unseeded in a grand slam for the first time since 2000. He faced Fernando González in the first round and lost in five sets, 5–7, 6–2, 6–2, 3–6, 6–3.
At the tournament in Memphis he caused an upset in the first round by defeating James Blake in three sets, 3–6, 6–1, 6–4. He then defeated fellow Australian Chris Guccione in the second round 6–2, 7–6(4), and Christophe Rochus in the quarterfinals 6–2, 6–3. He faced Andy Roddick in the semifinals but lost in a close match 2–6, 7–6(4), 6–4. Hewitt then lost in the first round of Delray Beach to Yen-Hsun Lu, the eighth seed, 7–5, 2–6, 6–2. Hewitt also competed in the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, he reached the second round, being defeated by Fernando González.
At the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, Hewitt played Israeli Dudi Sela in the first round. Hewitt lost the first set before recovering to win the match 3–6, 6–4, 6–3. Hewitt was then defeated by 7th seed Gilles Simon of France 6–1, 6–2.
At the 2009 U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships, Hewitt defeated the number 7 seed Diego Junqueira 6–0, 6–2. Hewitt advanced to the quarter-finals after defeating Sergio Roitman 6–1, 6–3 in just 57 minutes, and defeated Guillermo García López 6–3, 6–4 to advance to the semi finals where he defeated Evgeny Korolev 7–6(4), 6–4. He defeated Wayne Odesnik in the final 6–2, 7–5, for his first title since 2007 and his first clay court title in a decade.
Hewitt entered the Monte Carlo Masters as a wild card. He lost in the first round 6–4, 7–5 to Marat Safin who lives in Monte Carlo. After missing his scheduled flight out of Houston due to his match being delayed by rain Hewitt was forced to arrive in Monte Carlo the afternoon of the match against Safin after a further 3 hour flight delay and was carrying a slight muscle tear. Hewitt admitted to running out of energy in the second set.
At the 2009 BMW Open, Hewitt recorded his 500th career win after defeating Philipp Petzschner in the first round, becoming one of only four active players to achieve this milestone; the others being Roger Federer and Carlos Moyà. Andy Roddick would later achieve this feat at the 2009 Legg Mason Tennis Classic Tournament in Washington, D.C..
In the 2009 French Open, he defeated No.26 seed Ivo Karlović in five sets 6–7(1) 6–7(4) 7–6(4) 6–4 6–3 in the first round, and then defeated Andrey Golubev 6–4, 6–3, 6–1 in the second. He lost to No. 1 Rafael Nadal 6–1, 6–3, 6–1 in the third round.
Lleyton's next tournament was the 2009 AEGON Championships in London. He was the 15th seed and drew Eduardo Schwank in the first round, who he easily dispatched 6–1 6–0. In the second round he went 3 sets against Portuguese Frederico Gil. Hewitt dropped the first set but went on to win 3–6 6–2 6–2. Former rival Andy Roddick awaited Lleyton in the third round, and the match certainly did not disappoint. As they have many times in the past, the former World Number 1 players battled through a tough and intense match, which Roddick ended up taking. Hewitt lost in a thrilling 7–6(4) 7–6(2).
In the 2009 Wimbledon Championships Hewitt faced the prospect of Rafael Nadal in the second round, however Nadal withdrew due to injury and his slot was replaced by World # 5 Juan Martín del Potro. Hewitt defeated American Robby Ginepri, 6–4 6–1 6–1 in the first round. Del Potro awaited Lleyton in the second round as expected. Hewitt used his strong service game to his advantage, losing only one service game the entire match. He upended Del Potro in straight sets, 6–3 7–5 7–5. The third round also produced a straight set victory for Hewitt, as he defeated Philipp Petzschner 7–5, 7–6(3), 6–3. He reversed a two set deficit to defeat Radek Štěpánek in the fourth round 4–6 2–6 6–1 6–2 6–2. It was another classic Hewitt fightback to thrill the many Australians on hand to witness the match. His Cinderella run ended in the quarterfinals against #6 seed Andy Roddick. It was a 5 set thriller which featured two tiebreaks. Hewitt lost a heartbreaking 3–6, 7–6 (10), 6–7 (1), 6–4, 4–6.[13] It was the first time Lleyton had reached the quarterfinals of a major since the 2006 U.S. Open.
After an extended break, Hewitt began working his way into the U.S Open series by playing in Washington at the Legg Mason Classic. There Hewitt made it into the 3rd round before losing in a three set battle with Juan Martín del Potro, 6–4, 3–6, 6–7. At the Montreal Masters, Hewitt lost in the 1st round to former world number one, Juan Carlos Ferrero, 1–6, 4–6. Cincinnati saw Hewitt reach the quarter finals for the 6th time where he lost to Roger Federer in straight sets. During the 1st round of the tournament Hewitt showed his trademark fighting abilities by saving two match points to win against an in-form Robin Söderling [14]. At the U.S Open, Hewitt progressed into the 3rd round where he played Federer for the 23rd time of their decade long rivalry. Hewitt managed to take the first set 6–4 off Federer, before the 15 time Grand Slam champion took control of the second. The third set was tight in which both players saved multiple break points. Federer eventually prevailed the match in four sets, 4–6, 6–3, 7–5, 6–4 [15].
In late September, Hewitt traveled to Malaysia for his first time to take part in the inaugural Malaysian Open held in Kuala Lumpur [16]. The new tournament was part of the ATP's new dedicated 'Asian Swing' on the tennis circuit. Hewitt lost 7–6, 6–3 in the first round to Swedish player Joachim Johansson[17]. In Tokyo, Hewitt was drawn to once again meet Del Potro in the quarter finals, but was given a clear path when Del Potro was knocked out by qualifier Édouard Roger-Vasselin in the first round. After defeating Fabrice Santoro in the 2nd round, Hewitt downed Roger-Vasselin 6–4, 6–0 to reach his first semi-finals since winning the US Men's Clay Court Championships in April, but lost to Mikhail Youzhny 6–2 5–7 7–5. He then competed in the 2009 Shanghai ATP Masters 1000 where he won in the first round defeating John Isner 6–2 6–4, before losing to Gaël Monfils 4–6 6–4 6–2.
2010
After some high intensity training in the off season, Hewitt began 2010 fitter and more bulked up in order to continue his push back up the rankings.
Hewitt began his 2010 season partnering Samantha Stosur at the Hopman Cup. The Australians were the top seeds for the exhibition tournament, however, fared worse than expected, losing ties against Romania and Spain and therefore failing to reach the final.
He was seeded fourth in the Medibank International and, like the previous year, reached the quarter finals, losing to eventual champion Marcos Baghdatis. At the Australian Open he beat Baghdatis in the third round, after the Cypriot retired injured. He met Roger Federer in the fourth round and lost 6–2, 6–3, 6–4.
A week after his exit from the Australian Open, Hewitt announced at a press conference at Melbourne Park that he underwent another hip operation similar to his left hip operation this time on his right hip on 28 January 2010 in Hobart.
Hewitt returned to the tour at the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships as the singles defending champion.[18] He won his first match since the Australian Open, partnering coach Nathan Healey in the doubles, defeating James Cerretani and Adil Shamasdin 7-6 7-5. In the quarter-finals, they defeated Denis Istomin and Alessandro Motti 6-4 7-6, however, lost to top seeds the Bryan brothers in the semi-finals 6-2 7-6. Hewitt received a first round bye, as he was seeded 4th in the singles. In his first match, against lucky loser Somdev Devvarman, Hewitt dropped the first set before battling to win in three sets, 1-6 6-0 7-6. He then lost to Juan Ignacio Chela 6–4 6–3. Hewitt's next tournament was scheduled to be the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters however, he withdrew due to a recurring injury.
Hewitt then reached the second round in Barcelona before losing to Eduardo Schwank, and in the first round of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia, defeated 13th ranked Russian Mikhail Youzhny 6-4 4-6 6-3, before losing in the second round to Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, 6-2 6-3. Hewitt then travelled back to Australia to parcicipate in a Davis Cup tie against Japan, winning his two singles matches.
At the French Open, Hewitt reached the third round, before losing to 6-3 6-4 6-3 to Rafael Nadal, who went on to win the title without dropping a set and take the #1 ranking.
On June 13, Hewitt defeated Roger Federer 3–6, 7–6 (4), 6–4 in the final of the Gerry Weber Open in Halle, Germany, a grass court tuneup for Wimbledon Championships. The win was Hewitt's first over Federer since 2003 and snapped a 15-match losing streak against the Swiss. This also marked Hewitt winning the tournament on his debut.
At Wimbledon, Hewitt was seeded 15th and drew Argentine Máximo González in the first round. Lleyton dropped the first set but won his first round match 5-7 6-0 6-2 6-2. He met Evgeny Korolev in the second round, who retired in the third set to give Lleyton the win 6-4 6-4 3-0 retired. In the third round Hewitt found himself up against former World #9 and the current 21st seed in the tournament Gaël Monfils. This match produced an exciting second set tiebreak, which Hewitt took 11-9. He dispatched the Frenchman in straight sets, 6-3 7-6 (9) 6-4. Looking to match his quarter-final appearance at Wimbledon from 2009, Hewitt ran into the #3 seed, Serbian Novak Djokovic. After dropping the first two sets, Lleyton took advantage of a stomach illness had by Djokovic to take the third set. However, Hewitt could not mount a comeback, and ended up losing in 4 hard fought sets, 7-5 6-4 3-6 6-4.
At the Atlanta Tennis Championship, Hewitt served poorly (38% first serve) to suffer an embarrassing first round defeat against Lukas Lacko ,6-4 6-2. After receiving a first round bye at the Legg Mason Classic, Hewitt retired in the second round due to a leg injury. He pulled out of the Rogers Cup in Toronto in order to recover, and returned in Cincinnati. Hewitt defeated Yen-Hsun Lu in the opening round 6-4 4-0 retired, before losing in three sets to 5th seed Robin Soderling 4-6 6-3 7-5.
Hewitt was the 32nd seed at the US Open, and was drawn to meet 2nd seed and 5 time champion Roger Federer in the third round, but he lost his first round match to Paul-Henri Mathieu in five sets 3-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, 1-6. It was his earliest ever exit at the Open, having never lost in the opening round before.
Davis Cup
Hewitt was a part of the Australian Davis Cup Team that won the Davis Cup in 1999 and 2003 and reached the final in 2000 and 2001. By the age of 22, he had recorded more wins in Davis Cup singles than any other Australian player.
In 2003, Hewitt led the Australian team to victory when he defeated Juan Carlos Ferrero in the opening rubber 3–6, 6–3, 3–6, 7–6, 6–2.
In the 2006 quarter-finals in Melbourne, Hewitt defeated Belarusian Vladimir Voltchkov 6–2, 6–1, 6–2 in just 91 minutes. Voltchkov said before the match that "Hewitt has no weapons to hurt me." Hewitt responded, "Voltchkov doesn't have a ranking [of 457] to hurt me." In the semi-finals in Buenos Aires on clay, Hewitt lost to Argentine José Acasuso 1–6, 6–4, 4–6, 6–2, 6–1.
Coaches
Peter Smith, Darren Cahill, Jason Stoltenberg, Roger Rasheed, Scott Draper, Tony Roche and Nathan Healey are all former coaches of Hewitt. Hewitt is currently coached by Brett Smith.
Lleyton Hewitt's coaches in his time on the ATP Tour:
- Peter Smith (January 1997 – December 1998)
- Darren Cahill (December 1998 – December 2001)
- Jason Stoltenberg (December 2001 – June 2003)
- Roger Rasheed (June 2003 – January 2007)
- Scott Draper (January 2007)
- Tony Roche (July 2007 – August 2009)
- Nathan Healey (August 2009 – August 2010)
- Brett Smith (August 2010 - Present Day)
Hewitt and Healey parted ways in August 2010, after Healey's resignation for family reasons. Hewitt will now work with Brett Smith, the son of Hewitt's first coach, Peter Smith, as Hewitt ponders over who will eventually take over as his full-time coach [19]
Playing style
Hewitt is a defensive baseline counterpuncher. He typically likes to stay back towards the baseline during a rally and will usually approach the net only to catch a short reply or drop shot from his opponent. At the 2004 Cincinnati Masters Final, commentator MaliVai Washington said that Hewitt was even more difficult to "ace" than Agassi because he gets more returns in play. Hewitt's tactics typically involve putting difficult service returns in play, consistently chasing down attempted winning shots from his opponent, and waiting for his opponent to make an error.
Although he is known primarily as a baseline defender, Hewitt is a skilled volleyer and is known for having one of the best overhead smashes in the game. His signature shot, however, is the offensive topspin lob, a shot that he executes efficiently off both wings when his opponent approaches the net. US Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe and Jim Courier have both described Hewitt's lob as being the best in the world.
In Andre Agassi's book "Open", Hewitt is described as one of the best shot selectors in the history of Men's Tennis.[20]
Awards
- 2001–ATP Player of the Year
- 2001–Most Popular South Australian
- 2002–ATP Player of the Year
- 2002–Australia's Male Athlete
- 2002–ESPY Best Male Tennis Player
- 2003–Young Australian of the Year
- 2003–Vogue Australia Sportsman of the Year
- 2003–Most Popular South Australian
Personal life
Hewitt is a keen supporter of Australian rules football, having played the game earlier in his career and is the No.1 ticket holder for the Adelaide Crows. He once had a close friendship with Crows star Andrew McLeod, but this broke down over much public controversy.[21]
Following his win of the 2001 US Open, Hewitt flew out of New York just prior to the September 11 attacks. The attacks took place when he was en route to Sydney. A clearly shaken Hewitt was interviewed as soon as he departed from his flight amid heightened security at Sydney Airport.
Hewitt and Belgian tennis player Kim Clijsters started a relationship in January 2000, during the Australian Open. The two announced their engagement just before Christmas 2003, but separated in October 2004, cancelling a planned February 2005 wedding.[22]
On 30 January 2005, shortly after losing the 2005 Australian Open final to Marat Safin, Hewitt proposed to Australian actress Bec Cartwright after they had been dating for just six weeks. They married on 21 July 2005. Their first child, a daughter named Mia Rebecca Hewitt, was born on 29 November 2005.[23] Their second child, a son named Cruz Lleyton Hewitt, was born in Sydney on 11 December 2008.[24] They are expecting their third child in December 2010.[25]
In late 2008, to extend his tennis career and reduce the amount of travel, the couple relocated for the European and North American season to their future holiday home in the Old Fort Bay estate, in Nassau, Bahamas.[26]
Hewitt is currently sponsored by the Japanese sports manufacterer Yonex, with whom he signed a "Head to Toe" deal in late 2005. Yonex provides all of Hewitt's clothing, racquets, shoes and accessories.[27] Hewitt's Yonex shoes (SHT-306) are inscribed with his nickname "Rusty" along with an image of an Australian flag. As of 7 August 2007, his first appearance with a new racquet at the Montreal Masters, Hewitt used to use the Yonex RQiS 1 Tour. He used to use the Yonex RDS tour 90 Model, but switched to the Yonex RDiS 100 mid in 2009.
Hewitt's sister, Jaslyn Hewitt, is a former tennis player, and currently a bodybuilder.
Hewitt maintains a second residence in Nassau, Bahamas where he stays during off-time in the American hard court season.[28]
Career statistics
See also
- Wimbledon champions (Men's Singles)
- US Open champions (Men's Singles)
- List of Grand Slam Men's Singles champions
References
- ↑ http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/sport/lleyton-hewitt-calls-bahamas-home/story-e6frg7mf-1225809212258
- ↑ See pronunciation of Lleyton Hewitt.
- ↑ "40 Greatest Players of the Tennis Era (33–36)". TENNIS Magazine. 2006-05-17. http://www.tennis.com/features/40greatest/40greatest.aspx?id=502. Retrieved 2007-07-28.
- ↑ "Profile, statistics and background". lleytonhewitt.biz. http://www.lleytonhewitt.biz/articleslleyton/profile.htm. Retrieved 2007-07-11.
- ↑ Wijesinha, Sanjiva (2001-10-06). "Hewitt — superhero or superboor?". The Tribune. http://www.tribuneindia.com/2001/20011006/spr-trib.htm#3. Retrieved 2007-07-11.
- ↑ Lehourites, Chris (2005-07-15). "Australia Leads Argentina at Davis Cup". San Francisco Chronicle. http://news.ewoss.com/articles/D8BC09A82.aspx. Retrieved 2007-07-11.
- ↑ "Hewitt stuns Sampras, lifts US Open crown – Always had drive to succeed". The Tribune. India: The Tribune Trust. 10 September 2001. http://www.tribuneindia.com/2001/20010911/sports.htm. Retrieved 2009-09-23.
- ↑ "Lleyton Hewitt – Career Highlights". ATP. 2009-09-21. http://www.atpworldtour.com/Tennis/Players/Top-Players/Lleyton-Hewitt.aspx. Retrieved 2000-09-021.
- ↑ "Lleyton Hewitt – Career Highlights". ATP. 2009-09-29. http://www.atpworldtour.com/Tennis/Players/Top-Players/Lleyton-Hewitt.aspx. Retrieved 2009-09-0229.
- ↑ "Hewitt wins Las Vegas ATP title". Reuters. 2007-03-05. http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Hewitt_wins_Las_Vegas_ATP_title_03052007.html. Retrieved 2007-07-01.
- ↑ "Lleyton Hewitt hires celebrated tennis coach Tony Roche". International Herald Tribune. 2007-07-18. http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/07/18/sports/AS-SPT-TEN-Hewitt-Roche.php. Retrieved 2007-07-19.
- ↑ "Saturday Night Fever". Tennis Australia. 2008-01-20. http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/news/articles/2008-01-20/200801201200788933421.html.
- ↑ "Roddick win sets up Murray clash". BBC Sport. 2009-07-01. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/8129659.stm. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
- ↑ "Hewitt Saves Match Points in Win". BBC Sport. 2009-08-18. http://www.cincytennis.com/Global/News/2009/08/M_Tuesday_Recap.aspx. Retrieved 2009-10-09.
- ↑ "Federer bends but does not break against Hewitt". USOpen.org. 2009-09-05. http://www.usopen.org/en_US/news/match_reports/2009-09-05/200909051252176811015.html. Retrieved 2009-09-10.
- ↑ "The Last Time... With Lleyton Hewitt". ATP World Tour. 2009-08-26. http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/DEUCE-Tennis/DEUCE-US-Open-2009/Lleyton-Hewitt-Last-Time.aspx. Retrieved 2009-10-09.
- ↑ "Lleyton Hewitt falls flat against Joachim Johansson". ATP World Tour. 2009-08-30. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26145949-2722,00.html. Retrieved 2009-10-09.
- ↑ http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/01/30/2805677.htm
- ↑ Schlink, Leo (2010-08-26). "Lleyton Hewitt coach Nathan Healey quits". Herald Sun. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/lleyton-hewitt-coach-nathan-healey-quits/story-e6frf9if-1225909633411. Retrieved 2009-08-27.
- ↑ http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/tennis/lleyton-hewitt-earns-praise-from-andre-agassi/story-e6frfgao-1225814846611
- ↑ Gregory, Peter (2005-10-20). "Hewitt and McLeod in court". theage.com.au. http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/hewitt-and-mcleod-in-court/2005/10/20/1129775882381.html. Retrieved 2007-07-11.
- ↑ "Hewitt and Clijsters reveal split". BBC Sport. 2004-10-22. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/3345341.stm. Retrieved 2007-07-29.
- ↑ "Lleyton Hewitt". Tennis Warehouse. http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/player.html?ccode=LHEWITT. Retrieved 2007-07-11.
- ↑ Lleyton Hewitt Welcomes New Son December 16, 2008
- ↑ http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/confidential/lleyton-hewitt-and-bec-hewitt-confirm-they-are-expecting-third-child/story-e6frf96o-1225870461172
- ↑ . http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25613192-661,00.html.
- ↑ "PDF of Yonex Press Release" (PDF). Yonexusa.com. http://www.yonexusa.com/content/Lleyton_contact.pdf. Retrieved 2007-07-11.
- ↑ CBS Sports, Dick Enberg on-air comments
External links
- Lleyton Hewitt at the Association of Tennis Professionals
- Lleyton Hewitt at Davis Cup
- The official website for himself and his wife Bec
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