Lleyton Hewitt to be inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame
Aussie tennis great Lleyton Hewitt is set to be inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame at Australian Open 2024.
Melbourne, Australia, 11 October 2023 | tennis.com.au
Lleyton Hewitt will be inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame at Australian Open 2024.
Hewitt, 42, will be honoured with a special ceremony at Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday 24 January and his bronze statue will join 46 other greats of Australian tennis in Garden Square at Melbourne Park.
“It’s a great honour to be inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame, following in the footsteps of some of my great Australian idols,” Hewitt said.
“I’ve always been such a proud Australian and loved the rich tennis history we have in our sport.”
The tenacious competitor became the youngest player, at the time, to hold the world No.1 men’s singles ranking during his stellar career, rising to the top spot at age 20 in 2001.
Hewitt spent 80 weeks in total at world No.1, the 10th longest reign in ATP Tour history.
He won 30 career singles titles, including Grand Slam triumphs at the US Open in 2001 and Wimbledon 2002. He also won back-to-back titles at the ATP Tour Finals in 2001 and 2002.
His best Australian Open result was a runner-up finish in 2005, which made him the first Australian to reach a singles final at the tournament in 17 years.
He also achieved a top-20 ranking in doubles and claimed the US Open 2000 title alongside Max Mirnyi.
Hewitt thrived representing the green and gold. He is a three-time Olympian and the most decorated Australian Davis Cup representative in history.
The patriotic Hewitt played a key role in the nation’s 1999 and 2003 Davis Cup title-winning runs, contested an Australian record of 43 Davis Cup ties and won 59 rubbers in the team competition, which is also a national record.
Hewitt continues to play an important role in Australian tennis, having served as captain of the Australian Davis Cup team since 2016.
Last year, he helped steer the nation into the first Davis Cup final in 19 years.
> VIEW: Australian Tennis Hall of Fame
“Lleyton has been an inspiration as a player and now as a leader in our sport, and I’m delighted to announce his induction into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame,” Australian Open Tournament Director Craig Tiley said.
“He was a warrior on the court and always put his country first, and we are all very grateful for everything he has contributed to tennis.”
The Australian Open, supported by major partner Kia in association with Emirates, Luzhou Laojiao and Rolex, runs from 14-28 January 2024.
Tickets go on sale Thursday 12 October 2023, via Ticketmaster.
Book online, play today: Visit play.tennis.com.au to get out on court and have some fun!