Lleyton Hewitt Ends Career At Australian Open, But Legacy Lives On

Lleyton Hewitt Ends Career At Australian Open, But Legacy Lives On

It was truly difficult to like Australian tennis star Lleyton Hewitt  even when he was the World No. 1 champion, after Pete Sampras and before Roger Federer. He frequently picked fights with other players, coaches, administrators, and agents.

Of course, this was all more than a decade ago. For the second half of his first-ballot Hall of Fame career, it became just as hard to dislike him. Now, at age 34, he entered his 20th Australian Open, his final tournament. His opponent was Spaniard David Ferrer, another undersized player who has proven himself a worth competitor in this sport. Hewitt lost to Ferrer 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 in the second round of the Australian Open on Friday.

“I left nothing in the locker room,” Hewitt stated after the loss. “My whole career I’ve given 100%.”

Oddly enough, as Hewitt aged and became less quick, his love for competition only seemed to grow more intensely. He even became a mentor to younger players.

Throughout his career, Hewitt won 30 singles tour titles, won the US Open in 2001 and Wimbledon in 2002 and also helped his home country win the Davis Cup twice: in 1999 and 2003.

Some of the biggest tennis stars in the world, including Ferrer, Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murrary, and Nick Kyrgios paid tribute to Hewitt following his singles retirement announcement.

Caption: Lleyton Hewitt on court during Wimbledon, 2004 by daramot, via Wikimedia Commons