The curious case of Lleyton Hewitt
After 20 years of relentless action on court, tracking down every shot, covering every inch of the court and with spurs of his vintage âCome On!â, a teary-eyed Lleyton Hewitt finally called it a day at Melbourne Park on Thursday. His last match remained an unceremonious one with Hewitt bowing out of his home Grand Slam after a 2-6, 4-6, 4-6 defeat to world No. 8 David Ferrer.
Quantifying Lleyton Hewittâs impact on the world of Tennis and Australian tennis in particular would be a tough task. He is someone who never shied away from accepting defeats, and his never say die attitude on the court is an inspiration to many tennis stars out there.
The 35-year-old Tennis legend created headlines for the first time in 2001 by winning the US Open Menâs Singles title. He successfully beat Pete Sampras in the final and announced his arrival in style. In the following year, Hewitt went on to win the 2002 Wimbledon title and would reach and hold the No. 1 ranking for the next 80 straight weeks starting from November 2001 to July 2003.
âMy whole career Iâve given 100%. I love coming out here and competing. I have been so fortunate to have opportunity 20 years in a row. I feel honored to have had this support and love from this crowd; it means so much for me,â an emotional Hewitt said immediately after his final match.
Hewittâs Top 5 Memorable Victories
Roger Federer Vs Lleyton Hewitt (2014): The two legends clashed against each other in Brisbane International Final 2014 which saw Hewitt overcoming the 17-time grand slam champing with a scoreline of 6-1, 4-6, 6-3.
Lleyton Hewitt Vs Juan Martin Del Potro (2013): This was another big moment in the latter half of his career, as he locked horns against Argentine wizard Juan Martin Del Potro in the 2013 US Open. Though Hewitt won the match comfortably in the final set but having been 2 sets to one down and going into a tie-breaker in the 4th, Hewitt showed the world once again why is the best when it comes to grinding out a match in 5 sets. The match ended in Hewittâs favor with a score of 6-4, 5-7, 3-6, 7-6, 6-1.
Davis Cup Quarter-Final (2001): Even in the early years of his career, Lleyton Hewitt showed the world what he is made of as he displayed extreme determination against Gustavo Kuerten, who was the ânumero unoâ player at that time. A 20-year-old Hewitt played stunningly well and dominated the match, defeating Kuerten in straight sets, and eventually reaching the final.
Lleyton Hewitt Vs Rafael Nadal (2005): Who can forget the fourth round match at the Australian Open 2005? Hewitt was suffering from a hip injury during the time, and a feisty 18-yer-old Rafael Nadal wanted to make a name for himself by beating the crowd favorite. Lleyton Hewitt producing one of his finest performances ever as he prevailed over the Spanish star with a score of 7-5 3-6 1-6 7-6(3) 6-2.
Lleyton Hewitt Vs Andy Roddick (2005): Hewitt was face-to-face against Andy Roddick, the world number two and probably the guy with one of the deadliest serves in the game. Hewitt rushed to his fourth grand slam title final by beating Roddick and took important leads in the next two sets in tie-breakers eventually wrapping up the match 3-6 7-6 (3) 7-6(4) 6-1.
Lleyton Hewittâs Top Rivalries
Though, Lleyton Hewitt achieved miraculous success in the initial years of his career, his achievements piped down a bit in the ensuing years. His rivalries against Roger Federer and Andy Roddick were one of the highest points in his career.
The Aussie locked horns against Roger Federer a record 27 times. He tasted initial success beating the Swiss with a record of 7-2, but with Federerâs astonishing rise to greatness in the later years, the record soon changed to 18-9 in Federerâs favor.
Hewitt also faced off against the gutsy American Andy Roddick, quite a number of times in his career. They clashed against each other 14 times with Hewitt and Roddick sharing the spoils with 7 wins each.
What Makes Lleyton Hewitt a Tennis Phenomenon?
Hewitt has gifted bagels (a 6-0 win in a set) a record 9 times in his two decade long career
Ranked 797th in the world and aged just 15 years and 11 months, Hewitt made it through the qualifying rounds and into the main draw of the first grand slam of 1997 becoming the youngest player to do so.
Hewittâs match against Ze Zhang of China ensured he has now played against a representative of every continent on Earth at the Australian Open (of course with the exception of Antarctica).
Hewitt has played against the players of a record 23 nations
Lleyton Hewitt has appeared in 20 consecutive Australian Opens, bettering Fabrice Santoroâs record for 18 straight matches.
Lleyton Hewitt has broken the Open Era record for most 5-set matches at Grand Slams with 42 5-setters.
The bad and the ugly
Looking back at an illustrious career consisting of 600 wins and a 71% win-record, with 30 career titles in Menâs singles circuit, the Aussie star had his share of controversies too. He had a vicious temper and often riled at his opponents or match officials even at slightest of errors from their side. However, his harsh words against an African-American linesman during a one-off tennis match was definitely the lowest ebb of his career. His comment was widely vilified by the world media and it was termed a racial slur.
At the end of the day, it can be said that in his two decade-long career, Hewitt could have seen more success and glory. Had his career not been blemished by the injuries that crept up from time to time, he could have accomplished a lot more. But the world of tennis, including the top players and fans, appreciate what Hewitt has contributed to the sport. He might not go down as one of the highest grand slam winners in history, but he has won more hearts with his gritty displays than one can imagine. The legacy of Lleyon Hewitt will forever stay in the hearts of millions of tennis fans, and his trademark âCome on!â will be dearly missed.