If you are a tennis enthusiast, then it is inevitable that you have come across Lleyton Hewitt and have admired the charisma with which he presents himself on the court.
Lleyton Hewitt is an Aussie semi-retired professional tennis player and a legendary figure in the world of tennis.
He has won the Grand Slam titles of Wimbledon Singles (2002), US singleLleyton Hewitts (2001), and also the US doubles (2000).
Hewitt set the world record by being the youngest player ever in Men’s single to achieve Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) no.1 ranking in 2001.
At that time, Hewitt was only 20 years old. Therefore, we can say that Hewitt made a name for himself at a very young age.
This former World no.1 is currently the team captain of the Australian Davis Cup Team. Along with the captainship, Hewitt is also leading the Albany Tennis Academy in the Bahamas.
He was also a subject of a book titled “Facing Hewitt: Symposium of a Champion” written by Scoop Malinowski. The book features the experience and insights of the 50 ATP players who have competed against Hewitt.
Hewitt’s passion, commitment, and determination are particularly noteworthy. Having earned more than 30 titles in his nearly 20 year-long professional careers, he has indeed presented himself as an inspiring figure.
Before diving any deep into the details of this legendary player’s personal and professional life, let us look at the quick facts about him.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Lleyton Glynn Hewitt |
| Nick Name | Hewitt/Rusty |
| Age | 43 |
| Birthdate | 24 February 1981 |
| Birthplace | Adelaide, Australia |
| Residence | Melbourne, Australia |
| Mother | Cherilyn Rumball |
| Father | Glynn Maxwell Hewitt |
| Siblings | One younger sister (Jaslyn Hewitt) |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Religion | Christian |
| Marital Status | Married (2005) |
| Wife | Bec Cartwright |
| Children | 3 |
| Height | 5’10” (178 cm) |
| Weight | 170 lbs (77 kg) |
| Hair Color | Blonde |
| Eye Color | Blue |
| Shoe Size | 9.5 (US) |
| Profession | Tennis Player, Team Captain of Australian Davis Cup Team |
| Plays | Right-Handed, Two-Handed Backhand |
| Turned Pro | 1998 |
| Signature Pose | Fist Pump |
| Singles | 30 titles |
| Singles Career-High Rank | No.1 |
| Doubles | 3 Titles |
| Doubles Career-High Rank | No.18 |
| Prize Money | $20,889,965 (Singles and Doubles combined) |
| Status | Semi-retired |
| Retired | 2016 (Singles) |
| Net Worth | $20 million |
| Last singles match | 2016 |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter |
| Merch | Livewire Real Lives, Autographed Tennis Ball |
| Last Update | March, 2024 |
Lleyton Hewitt: Early Life and Family
Hewitt was born on 21 February 1981 in Adelaide, South Australia, into an exceptionally athletic family.
His father, Glynn Hewitt, is a former Australian Rules Football player, and his mother, Cherilyn Rumball, is a former champion netballer.
Similarly, his younger sister, Jaslyn, is a former tennis coach and bodybuilder.
Hewitt also played Australian Rules Football until he was 13 and then turned towards tennis. By 1996, he had become a leading Australian junior tennis player.
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Lleyton Hewitt: Tennis career
Hewitt turned professional in 1998 when he secured his first professional singles title. By 1999, he had already made his Davis Cup debut and had advanced to no.22 in the world.
Moreover, he won his first Grand Slam title at the US Open in 2001, where he played doubles alongside Max Mirnyi and became the youngest male ever to win a Grand Slam doubles.
Likewise, 2001 was a big year for Hewitt to win his first Grand Slam singles title at the US Open in 2001. Hewitt was also the most successful player on the ATP circuit.
In addition, Hewitt ended the year becoming the ATP world no.1. In 2001, he was able to secure a total of six titles.
He claimed victory to the Wimbledon singles title and remained the ATP World no.1 in 2002. The tennis player also helped his country win the Davis Cup in 2003.
Hewitt remained in the ATP World top 100 till 2010. In the year 2011, he injured his ankle while playing at the Gerry Weber Open in Germany.
Hewitt was unable to play in the 2011 US Open due to an injury. As a result, he got out of the top 100 in the year 2011.
Hewitt represented Australia at the 2012 London Olympics. He received the Newcombe medal and was also named the most outstanding Australian tennis player in 2013.
He was also back at the World’s top 100 in 2013.
Defeating Roger Federer
In 2014, Hewitt played a final match against Roger Federer (seventeen-time Grand Slam winner by 2014). It was a tough competition.
However, Hewitt managed to win the title ultimately. This victory increased his rank to 43rd in the world and once again number 1 in Australia.
Lleyton Hewitt announced his retirement at the 2016 Australian Open. In his overall tennis career, he secured 33 career titles (30 singles and three doubles).
Lleyton Hewitt: Post-retirement
Though Hewitt had retired in 2016, he came out to play doubles with compatriot Sam Groth at the Australian Open in January 2018.
Although the player had retired from playing singles, he had never mentioned not playing doubles. Later, he posted on Twitter in 2018, saying that he plans on playing more doubles.
Team Captain
Lleyton Hewitt is currently the Australian Davis Cup Team Captain. The player came out of retirement to play for this country as a captain in the 2016 Davis Cup.
Hewitt holds several Australian Davis Cup records, including the total wins, most ties played and, most years played. He was also awarded the Davis Cup commitment award.
He is often seen to be depicting his love for his team and his country on his social handles.
For instance, we can see that his posts almost always come with the hashtags; #BleedGreenandGold, #NoGreaterHonour, and #OneTeamOneGoal.
Therefore, we cannot undermine his love for his team and his country.
Albany Tennis Academy
Since 2017, Hewitt has also led the Albany Tennis Academy at the Windsor Highschool in The Bahamas and helping the young kids to become better and fulfill their potential.
Tennis Hall of Fame: Class of 2021
Lleyton Hewitt was announced to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in the class of 2021.
However, due to Covid travel concerns, he has postponed his induction until 2022.
Not to mention, we can say that although Hewitt announced his retirement from playing back in 2016, his love for tennis hasn’t vanished.
We believe that we can definitely expect more of him in the days to come.
Lleyton Hewitt: Net Worth
Hewitt is said to be one of the wealthiest tennis players in the world. He enjoys the prize money of US$ 20,889,965 from tournaments and competitions.
The legendary Australian tennis player Lleyton Hewitt’s net worth is estimated to be $20 million altogether.
Apart from the prize money, Hewitt also earns a lot of money through his vast sponsorship deals and endorsement contracts.
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Lleyton Hewitt: Wife and Kids
Lleyton Hewitt is married to an Australian actor, presenter, and singer, Bec Cartwright.
She is famous for her role as Hayley Smith Lawson on the soap opera ‘Home and Away.’ Now, in 2021, she is back at the ‘Dancing with the Stars’ dance floor.
The two first met at a Starlight Cup back in 1999. They started dating after both of their previous relationships had ended, i.e., in 2004.
Instantly, they felt that they were made for each other and decided to spend their lives together. They got married on 21 July 2005 at Sydney Opera House.
The couple recently celebrated their 16th anniversary. Hewitt posted on Instagram saying, “Hard to believe it’s been 16yrs…. Happy Anniversary and Happy birthday to my beautiful wife @bechewitt23 You’re the best.”
They have three children together; Mia Rebecca Hewitt, Cruz Lleyton Hewitt, and Ava Sydney Hewitt.
Similarly, Mia, a 15-year-old, is already making a name for herself and is gaining a lot of spotlight. Moreover, sources claim that Mia is keen to set her hands into the acting field.
Also, 12-year-old Cruz recently won the Australian junior tennis clay-court title in April 2021. So we can say that he is also set to establish his career in tennis just like his father.
10-year-old Ava is a natural performer. She recently performed in “Dancing With The Stars” and won the hearts of many.
In conclusion, we can say that talent and charisma run in the Hewitt family, and none of them leave us disappointed. That is why fans seem to love them all a lot.
Lleyton Hewitt: Social Media
Hewitt is on Instagram as @lleytonhewitt89 with 161k followers. He follows tennis professionals including Luke Saville, Max Mirnyi, Dominic Thiem, and non-tennis athletes like Tim Tszyu, Oliver Florent and, Brad Crouch.
Similarly, he is on Twitter as @lleytonhewitt with 77.6k followers. He mentions on his Twitter bio that is he is an Adelaide Crows Fan.
Hewitt shares his personal and family moments and accomplishments on his social media. He also uses it to show love and support for his country and the Green and Gold.
Lleyton Hewitt: Controversies
Hewitt has been involved in various public controversies. Among them all, he is often called out for the racism dispute of the 2001 US Open.
During a match at the 2001 US Open, Hewitt complained about a black line judge claiming he was prejudiced. Hewitt was accused of having done so because of his skin color.
However, Hewitt has denied all the allegations and has said that it was not about race.
Lleyton Hewitt: Frequently Asked Questions
How long was Lleyton Hewitt No.1 in the world?
Hewitt was at the No.1 in the ATP rankings for 80 weeks from late 2001 to the middle of 2003.
Agassi climbed up to the position on April 28, 2003, for two weeks before Hewitt again climbed back to the top. However, this only lasted for five weeks, and Agassi rose back up again.
How many Grand Slams does Lleyton Hewitt have?
Hewitt has three Grand Slams titles (1 double and two singles). He got his first Grand Slam doubles title at the US Open in 2000.
Likewise, His first Grand Slam (singles) was the 2001 US Open Singles title. He got his second Grand Slam (Singles) at Wimbledon in 2002.
Why is Lleyton Hewitt called Rusty?
Lleyton Hewitt was given the nickname ‘Rusty’ by his coach Darren Cahill as a reference to Rusty Griswold from the National Lampoon’s Vacation movie.
Andy Murray claims to have named his dog ‘Rusty’ after the Aussie veteran.
You can further read about the 12 Best Tennis Players of All Time here.
