Well we have almost reached the end of an era in Australian tennis, a professional career spanning 20 years, with 2 grand slams, 2 Davis cup titles and a couple of years at number 1. Countless comebacks, a never say die attitude and a commitment to Australian tennis the likes of which we may never have seen before.
I had only been playing tennis for a year when this guy qualified for his first ever Australian Open in 1997, in doing so becoming the youngest ever qualifier at 15. But my first real memory of Hewitt was in 1998 when he beat Agassi in the semi final of the tournament in Adelaide, leading up to the AO. He then went on to beat stoltenburg in the final. I took notice, I was 12 at the time and could not believe this young Aussie kid beat the superstar who was Agassi!
He was young and brash and copped a bit from the media and public, I was too young to remember or take notice of that kind of stuff. He then went on to a meteoric rise over the next few years, winning the US open and then Wimbledon the following year, I remember him draping the Aussie flag over himself after he won at SW19.
But it is the Davis Cup with which he will be remembered for. He represented Australia like nobody else has ever done before. I am going to miss that the most.
Hewitts passion, desire and intensity over his career are highlights and his ability to reach the top are a brilliant achievement. And he did this without a big weapon.
The most disappointing result was the 2005 AO final against safin, heartbreaking for Lleyton and all Australian tennis fans.
It is going to be strange once Hewitt has played his final match at the Australian open, as it is all I have ever really known to happen at Melbourne park.
Thank you Lleyton for a great career and the passion you brought playing for this country.
I had only been playing tennis for a year when this guy qualified for his first ever Australian Open in 1997, in doing so becoming the youngest ever qualifier at 15. But my first real memory of Hewitt was in 1998 when he beat Agassi in the semi final of the tournament in Adelaide, leading up to the AO. He then went on to beat stoltenburg in the final. I took notice, I was 12 at the time and could not believe this young Aussie kid beat the superstar who was Agassi!
He was young and brash and copped a bit from the media and public, I was too young to remember or take notice of that kind of stuff. He then went on to a meteoric rise over the next few years, winning the US open and then Wimbledon the following year, I remember him draping the Aussie flag over himself after he won at SW19.
But it is the Davis Cup with which he will be remembered for. He represented Australia like nobody else has ever done before. I am going to miss that the most.
Hewitts passion, desire and intensity over his career are highlights and his ability to reach the top are a brilliant achievement. And he did this without a big weapon.
The most disappointing result was the 2005 AO final against safin, heartbreaking for Lleyton and all Australian tennis fans.
It is going to be strange once Hewitt has played his final match at the Australian open, as it is all I have ever really known to happen at Melbourne park.
Thank you Lleyton for a great career and the passion you brought playing for this country.
