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Newport (United States) (AFP) – The Australian Lleyton Hewitt, two-time Grand Slam champion and former world number one, entered the International Tennis Hall of Fame this Saturday, in a ceremony that was pending in 2021 due to the covid-19 pandemic.
In Hewitt’s successful career, winning the US Open in 2001 and Wimbledon in 2002 stand out among the 30 wins he won on the ATP circuit. He was also a star on the Australian team that won the Davis Cup in 1999 and 2003.
The player – 41 years old – originally from Adelaide could not travel to the Hall of Fame last year, due to the restrictions adopted by the pandemic, so his entry took place this Saturday after the semifinals of the Hall of Fame Open tournament in Newport (USA).
“It’s an incredible honor for me and it’s very special to be able to have my family and friends here,” said the awardee. The ceremony was held on the court where Hewitt won his first ATP match on grass as a teenager, in 1998.
Hewitt was number one in the world at the end of the year in 2001 and 2002. His extremely competitive spirit coupled with his speed and finishing skills made him a threat on any surface, finishing with an all-time record of 616 wins and 262 in ATP singles games.
The Australian icon won his first ATP title in Adelaide in 1998 and his last in 2014 at the Hall of Fame Open, when he defeated Ivo Karlovic.
© 2022 AFP
