Tennis great Lleyton Hewitt calls induction to Hall of Fame 'surreal'

NEWPORT — Lleyton Hewitt dreamed of playing Australian Rules Football.

His father, Glynn, starred in the league for 16 seasons. Hewitt saw himself suiting up at Football Park with his beloved Adelaide Crows — or, perhaps, in the NFL.

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His teenage years saw Hewitt pursue a different passion, one that led him to the Newport Casino this weekend. Saturday night brought his induction into the Tennis Hall of Fame, as the two-time Grand Slam champion accepted the sport’s highest honor.

“It’s pretty surreal to be honest,” Hewitt said on Saturday ahead of the ceremony. “It was never something I thought about as a player.”

The moment started coming into focus for Hewitt later in his career. He was a three-time finalist here and the singles champion in 2014, the last of his 30 titles. Hewitt’s extended stays into the weekend allowed him a chance to watch some of the game’s greats walk the perfect brick pathways that cross these grounds.

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“Coming back this weekend has been a big thrill,” Hewitt said. “Mainly, to come back with my close family and friends as well. They’ve meant so much to me throughout my tennis journey.”

Hewitt remains the youngest men’s No. 1 in the sport’s history — he reached the top spot at 20 years, eight months and 23 days. That’s a month and a day before Marat Safin and nearly four months younger than John McEnroe. All three now hold a special place in the game’s history.

That football background served Hewitt well when it came to his eventual choice of day job. He played bigger than his listed size at 5 feet 10 inches and proved a dogged competitor on big stages. Hewitt was the U.S. Open champion in 2001, the Wimbledon champion in 2002 and finished both seasons as the ATP Player of the Year.

“I gave 100 percent every time I stepped on the court,” Hewitt said. “And it wasn’t just the match court — it was the practice court as well.

“I felt like training with the likes of [former coach] Tony Roche, every time I stepped on the practice court, it was about having a purpose. It wasn’t just going out there to hit balls over the net.”

Hewitt dismissed Pete Sampras in straight sets to capture his first major and dropped just six games while brushing aside David Nalbandian to claim his second. He reached two other major finals at the U.S. Open in 2004 and the Australian Open in 2005 — those arguably were his two most complete seasons on tour. Hewitt advanced to at least the quarterfinals of three majors in 2004 and at least the semifinals of three majors in 2005.

“I felt like at my peak I was as physically strong as anyone on tour,” Hewitt said. “That’s why I prided myself on getting in those long battles. I actually enjoyed them.

“It wasn’t something I stressed about. If I did end up in a long battle, I was able to just worry about executing. I didn’t have to worry about how my body or mind were going to react under those pressure situations.”

The 41-year-old Hewitt has been a sporting icon in his native Australia for more than half his life. He’s the current Davis Cup captain and hopes to add another title to his pair of victories as a player, in 1999 and 2003. Hewitt is here this weekend with his wife, Bec, and their three children.

“When you’re playing, it’s not something you think about,” Hewitt said. “It seems so far away. It’s nice to be able to actually sit back and reflect.”

bkoch@providencejournal.com

On Twitter: @BillKoch25 

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Tennis great Lleyton Hewitt inducted into Hall of Fame