Lleyton Hewitt, from
Adelaide,
South Australia, is a former world No. 1 ranked tennis player. Born February 24, 1981, he went on to become one of South Australia's favourite sons, becoming the youngest ever male player to reach the No. 1 spot in the history of the game (at just 20 years of age). He held this position for 64 consecutive weeks, 68 in total, and since late 2003 his highest ranking has been 2nd. In 2001 he won the
US Open, defeating
Pete Sampras in the final (
Sampras went on to win the following year), and in 2002 Hewitt added Wimbledon to his list of achievements, defeating
Argentine David Nalbandian in straight sets.
Hewitt is known for speaking his mind on and off the court, and was fined once for not showing up to a
press conference. He also has a running rivalry with Argentine player
David Nalbandian, who was recently quoted as saying that Hewitt has "no friends" on the ATP tour.
Hewitt has won 25 titles since turning pro in 1998, earning himself $16,609,137 in the process. He is well liked by fans for his guts and determination, his
never-say-die attitude, and his
trademark shouts of "COME ON!" after winning a big point. In 2005 he married
Rebecca Cartwright of
Home And Away fame. Their first child, a daughter named
Mia Rebecca Hewitt, was born on November 29, 2005. Lleyton is
currently 20th in the world.
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