Two-time Grand Slam winner Hewitt named to Hall of Fame
Two-time Grand Slam winner Lleyton Hewitt was named to the International Tennis Hall of Fame class of 2021 on Wednesday, along with the Original 9 of the women’s professional tour.
The honour for former world No.1 Hewitt came on the Aussie’s 40th birthday.
Hewitt, who amassed 30 tour-level singles titles in his 18-year career, will be inducted in the Player Category.
Not only was he elected by the Hall of Fame’s official voting group of media, historians and Hall of Famers, he came first in a global fan vote that took place last year.
Hewitt beat Pete Sampras in the final of the US Open in 2001 and ascended to No.1 in the ATP rankings. Hewitt captured the Wimbledon title the following year and was a finalist at the Australian Open in 2005.
“I am hugely honoured to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame,” said Hewitt.
“When you are competing, you’re so focused on training and your results that week or that year, you don’t really look ahead to something like this,” he added.
“But when that is all compiled up and deemed deserving of becoming a Hall of Famer, well, it’s just the ultimate recognition for a player, and I’m so honoured,” Hewitt said.
The Original 9 of women’s professional tennis — Americans Peaches Bartkowicz, Rosie Casals, Julie Heldman, Billie Jean King, Kristy Pigeon, Nancy Richey and Valerie Ziegenfuss as well as Australians Judy Tegart Dalton and Kerry Melville Reid — took action 50 years ago when they refused to accept the growing disparity in prize money women and men in tennis.