Australian tennis legend Lleyton Hewitt will be inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame at Australian Open 2024.
Hewitt, 42, will be honoured at a special ceremony at Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday 24 January, with his bronze statue to join 46 other greats of Australian tennis in Garden Square at Melbourne Park.
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Hewitt became the youngest player, at the time, to hold the world No.1 singles ranking during his stellar career, rising to the top spot at age 20 in 2001. He spent 80 weeks in total at world No.1, the 10th longest reign in ATP Tour history.
He won 30 career singles titles, including Grand Slam triumphs at the US Open in 2001 and Wimbledon 2002. He also won back-to-back titles at the ATP Tour Finals in 2001 and 2002.
His best Australian Open result was a runner-up finish in 2005, which made him the first Australian to reach a singles final at the tournament in 17 years.
He also achieved a top-20 ranking in doubles and claimed the US Open 2000 title alongside Max Mirnyi.
Hewitt thrived representing the green and gold. He is a three-time Olympian and the most decorated Australian Davis Cup representative in history. Hewitt played a key role in the nation’s 1999 and 2003 Davis Cup title-winning runs, contested a national record 43 ties and won 59 Davis Cup rubbers, also a national record.
Hewitt continues to play an important role in Australian tennis, having served as captain of the Australian Davis Cup team since 2016. Last year, he helped steer the nation into the first Davis Cup final in 19 years.
“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.”
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“Lleyton has been an inspiration as a player and now as a leader in our sport and we are delighted to announce his induction into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame,” Australian Open Tournament Director Craig Tiley said.
“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.”