Australian tennis legend Lleyton Hewitt will take his place in the halls of sporting history with his induction into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame during the Australian Open in 2024.
The tennis icon will be celebrated in a grand ceremony taking place at the iconic Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday, January 24th. To immortalise his achievements, a bronze statue of Hewitt will grace the illustrious Garden Square at Melbourne Park, marking his esteemed place among 46 other luminaries of Australian tennis.
“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.”
While announcing his induction, Australian Open Tournament Director Craig Tiley said, “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.”
“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.”
In his remarkable career, the determined competitor achieved a historic feat by becoming the youngest player to claim the world No.1 men’s singles ranking in 2001 at the age of 20.
Throughout his illustrious journey, Hewitt spent a total of 80 weeks as the world No.1, ranking among the top 10 longest reigns in ATP Tour history.
He amassed an impressive tally of 30 career singles titles, which included triumphant victories at the US Open in 2001 and Wimbledon in 2002. Notably, he clinched consecutive titles at the ATP Tour Finals in 2001 and 2002.
One of his standout achievements at the Australian Open was a runner-up finish in 2005, marking the first time in 17 years that an Australian reached a singles final at the tournament.
Hewitt’s prowess extended to doubles as well, where he achieved a top-20 ranking and secured the US Open title in 2000 alongside Max Mirnyi from Belarus.
His dedication to representing the Australian colours was unwavering. As a three-time Olympian and the most decorated Australian Davis Cup representative in history, Hewitt played a pivotal role in the nation’s Davis Cup title victories in 1999 and 2003. He participated in a record-breaking 43 Davis Cup ties and won 59 rubbers in the team competition, further solidifying his national legacy.
Notably, Hewitt has continued to contribute to Australian tennis by serving as the captain of the Australian Davis Cup team since 2016. His leadership was instrumental in guiding the nation to its first Davis Cup final in 19 years, an achievement accomplished just last year.