Net Worth: c. $25 Million
Age: 42
DOB: Born: 24 February 1981
Birthplace: Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Lleyton Hewitt is a former Australian tennis player who holds the distinction of being the last Aussie to win a grand slam title, having taken out the US Open in 2001 and Wimbledon in 2002.
During his phenomenally successful career Hewitt won 30 singles and 3 doubles titles. He also became the youngest male player to be number 1 in the ATP rankings when he was just 20 years old. On top of that, he also helped Australia win the Davis Cup twice in 1999 and 2003 and consecutive Tour Final titles in 2001 and 2002.
Arguably, Australia’s greatest ever male tennis player, Hewitt accrued a significant net worth during his 18 year career.
Introduction to Tennis
Born in Adelaide, its fair to say that Hewitt inherited sporting jeans. His dad (Glynn) was an ex-AFL player, while his mum (Cherilyn) was a PE teacher. In addition, his young sister (Jaslyn) was a bodybuilder and former tennis coach and her husband Rob Shehadie, Hewitt’s brother-in-law, played U-21s rugby union for Australia and rugby league for Lebannon.
Hewitt himself played AFL until he was 13 years old until he decided to focus on forging a career in tennis. As a junior he played at Seaside Tennis Club, down at Henley Beach. Later, he joined Denman Tennis Club in Mitcham, where his game progressed under the watchful eye of coach Peter Smith.
Pro Tennis Career
Lleyton Hewitt started his pro career in 1998 when he was only 17. He quickly started to turn heads with his performances and on-court dynamism, most notably when he won the 1998 Next Generation Adelaide International tournament by beating Andre Agassi in the semis and fellow Aussie Jason Stoltenberg in the final. In the process, he became one of the youngest-ever winners of an ATP event.
At the time of the win, Hewitt was attending Immanuel College in Adelaide. However, he decided to leave there around the same time as receiving an Australian Institute of Sport scholarship.
In an impressive nod to his longevity and durability, Hewitt took part in 20 Australian Open tournaments in a row. He eventually retired from the sport in 2016 and was inducted six years later into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Career Record
Overall, Hewitt enjoyed a successful singles career in which he won 30 titles including two grand slams. He boasts an impressive 70.2% win percentage with a record of 616–262 in ATP Tour, Grand Slam and Davis Cup matches.
In men’s doubles tournaments, he variously partnered with Mark Philippoussis, Sam Groth and Max Mirnyi, the latter of whom he won the US Open with, in 2000 – becoming the youngest man to do so aged 19. In mixed doubles, he most notably played with the Belgian Kim Clijsters, who was his girlfriend at the time. His men’s and mixed doubles record was 134–112, providing him with a win percentage of 54.5%.
Controversies
While Hewitt enjoyed a successful career, it was not without controversy. Most notably, he was involved in an alleged racism dispute with a black linesman, which occurred during a match with James Blake in 2001 at the US Open. Later that year, he also found himself in hot water at the French Open after twice calling the net judge and chair umpire ‘spastics’. After a public backlash, he was forced to apologise to them both.
Throughout his career, Hewitt was known for his cries of ‘c’mon’ whenever he won a point. This irked many of his opponents who stated it was poor sportsmanship.
Endorsements
As you would expect, Hewitt was a hot commodity for marketing purposes during his player career.
He enjoyed lucrative multi-year endorsement deals with companies like Nike, Athletic DNA and Yonex, a Japanese sports manufacturer. These deals earned him a lot of money over the years.
Personal Life
Lleyton Hewitt is married to the Australian actress Bec Cartwright, with whom he has three children. One of them, Cruz, won the junior Australian clay-court tennis title in 2021 in Canberra when he was just 12.
Hewitt proposed to Bec after just six weeks of dating. They married at the Sydney Opera House in July 2005. Previously, he was in a high-profile relationship with Kim Clijsters, the Belgian tennis player. They were actually engaged and due to be married in February 2005, although this wedding was cancelled after they separated in October 2004.
Hewitt is a huge fan of the rock group Cold Chisel. He is also a passionate supporter of the AFL team the Adelaide Crows, with whom he is the joint number one ticket holder with the MP Kate Ellis.
Leyton was given the nickname of ‘Rusty’ by former Australian tennis player Darren Cahill, who thought he resembled the character from the National Lampoon film series. Moreover, his own fans began calling him ‘Rocky’ in recognition of his ‘C’mon Balboa’ shouts.
To avoid paying extra tax, Hewitt moved his family to Nassau in the Bahamas. Later he moved to Toorak in Victoria. However, in 2021 he sold that property and bought a new one in the Burleigh Heads region of Queensland.
Hewitt is a good friend of the Australian golfer Greg Norman, for whom he once caddied at an Australian PGA event.