Former Australian great Lleyton Hewitt enshrined into Hall

Jul 16, 2022, 4:03 PM | Updated: 4:06 pm

NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) — Lleyton Hewitt paused for a moment and the word easily came to mind when he was asked how he wanted to be remembered.

“Competitor,” the 41-year-old Hewitt said in an interview with The Associated Press earlier in the day before his induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday night.

“For me, someone that loved to lay it on the line day after day, and got the most out of themselves, I competed as hard as I possibly could on the court every time I took to the court,” said the former Australian star. “The fans deserved for us to give everything and go out and compete, and that’s something I prided myself on.”

Hewitt was elected into the Hall at part of the 2021 class, but due to travel restrictions because of the COVID-19 pandemic, he was unable to attend the enshrinement ceremony last summer. There was no one elected for 2022, so the moment was his alone. He’s the 34th player from Australia to be inducted.

The enshrinement ceremony was held on Newport’s grass side courts after the semifinals of the Hall of Fame Open. Eight Hall of Famers, including Andy Roddick (2017) and Tracy Austin (’92), attended the event.

A two-time Grand Slam champion (Wimbledon 2002, US Open 2001), Hewitt finished ’01 and ’02 as the No. 1 player in the world and spent 80 weeks top ranked. In 2001, he became the youngest at 20 years, eight months and 26 days to become the top men’s player.

During his career, he won 30 singles titles and was a part of two Davis Cup championship teams, in 1999 and 2003.

One of his most memorable moments was being on his first Davis Cup team in ’99.

“I was only 18, I think, at the time. I had Pat Rafter as our top singles player and I was playing No. 2 behind him,” he said. “For me that was a really proud moment, to be standing beside all those great Australians that I always idolized and looked up to.”

Hewitt won his last ATP title at Newport in 2014. It was then that the thought of being elected to the Hall crossed his mind.

“I was here playing the tournament and I had the career that I had, and I was coming toward the end of my career,” he said in the interview. “A lot of people that I would bump into me would say: ‘I can’t wait to see you back here in a few years.’ That was probably the only time that you actually start thinking about it.”

He was a runner-up at the Australian Open in 2005. Despite no regrets, he said that it’s the only thing missing in his career — a Slam title in his own country.

“There’s nothing that I would change,” he said. “But something that I wish, obviously, that I was able to achieve. I felt, obviously, I was good enough to do.”

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

This photo provided by Robert Wilkes, owner of a house boat management company, shows smoke rising ...

Associated Press

Houseboats catch fire while docked at Wahweap Marina on Lake Powell

More than half a dozen house boats momentarily caught fire at a popular boating destination on the Utah-Arizona line on Friday.

2 days ago

File - Women work in a restaurant kitchen in Chicago, Thursday, March 23, 2023. On Friday, the U.S....

Associated Press

US hiring, unemployment jump in May and what that says about the economy

The nation’s employers stepped up their hiring in May, adding a robust 339,000 jobs, well above expectations.

2 days ago

(Pixabay Photo)...

Associated Press

Oath Keeper from Arizona sentenced for role in Jan. 6 riot at US Capitol

Edward Vallejo, a U.S. Army veteran from Phoenix, oversaw a “Quick Reaction Force” at a Virginia hotel that was prepared to deploy an arsenal of weapons into Washington if needed, authorities say.

3 days ago

FILE - U.S. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz listens during a news conference, Jan. 5, 2023, in Washi...

Associated Press

US Border Patrol chief is retiring after seeing through end of Title 42 immigration restrictions

The head of the U.S. Border Patrol announced Tuesday that he was retiring, after seeing through a major policy shift that seeks to clamp down on illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border following the end of Title 42 pandemic restrictions.

4 days ago

FILE - President Joe Biden talks with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of Calif., on the House steps as...

Associated Press

House OKs debt ceiling bill to avoid default, sends Biden-McCarthy deal to Senate

The House approved a debt ceiling and budget cuts package late Wednesday, as President Joe Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy assembled a bipartisan coalition of centrist Democrats and Republicans against fierce conservative blowback and progressive dissent.

4 days ago

Sean Bickings (Family Photo via city of Tempe)...

Associated Press

Family of man who drowned last year in Tempe Town Lake files wrongful death lawsuit

The family of a man who drowned in Tempe Town Lake a year ago filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city Wednesday, noting that its police department doesn't have a policy requiring officers to go into the water to save someone.

4 days ago

Sponsored Articles

...

SANDERSON FORD

Thank you to Al McCoy for 51 years as voice of the Phoenix Suns

Sanderson Ford wants to share its thanks to Al McCoy for the impact he made in the Valley for more than a half-decade.

...

re:vitalize

Why drug-free weight loss still matters

Wanting to lose weight is a common goal for many people as they progress throughout life, but choosing between a holistic approach or to take medicine can be a tough decision.

(Photo by Michael Matthey/picture alliance via Getty Images)...

Cox Communications

Valley Boys & Girls Club uses esports to help kids make healthy choices

KTAR’s Community Spotlight focuses on the Boys & Girls Club of the Valley and the work to incorporate esports into children's lives.

Former Australian great Lleyton Hewitt enshrined into Hall