SUMMARY
- Lleyton Hewitt has been facing troubles off the court at the 2024 Australian Open.
- Fans have now found similarities in Lleyton Hewitt and a statue of Cristiano Ronaldo.
The 2024 Australian Open has welcomed many former players into the arena. The year’s first grand slam has seen a few home crowd favorites take the title. While it has happened on the WTA tour recently, the ATP tour has not had much success in the past. But the Rod Laver Arena honored a player who made his country proud in the early 2000s, Lleyton Hewitt.
Hewitt was inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame as he was present with his family during the ceremony. While it was a call for celebrations, a few fans noticed that the bronze statue did not resemble the player. One fan compared it to the 2017 statue of Cristiano Ronaldo at Madeira airport, where the facial features were different from the players’.
🇦🇺 C’MON! 💪
Congratulations, @lleytonhewitt, on being inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame! 👏 pic.twitter.com/hjd67loL7U
— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 24, 2024
— Tony Ising (@TonyIsing) January 24, 2024
“That doesn’t look a thing like him. His face is too wide, and he looks about 45. Why didn’t the artist do one of his iconic on-court “come on!” expressions?” commented a fan who was not happy with the choice of the sculptor. The former world No. 1 was known for his vivid celebrations on the court.
That doesn’t look a thing like him. His face is too wide and he looks about 45. Why didn’t the artist do one of his iconic on-court “come on!” expressions?
— Simon (@Simon05264174) January 24, 2024
Lleyton Hewitt was the last Australian player on the ATP tour to reach the final of the Australian Open in 2005. He lost the final to Marat Safin in four sets. The 42-year-old has been guiding Alex De Minaur in a few matches. Hewitt leads the team during the United Cup and ATP Cup. He has been the captain of the Davis Cup team since 2016.
Lleyton Hewitt’s desperate plea captures attention in Melbourne
The fourth-round match between Andrey Rublev and De Minaur saw players testing each other’s potential. The No.10 looked in great form against Rublev and was cheered by the fans in the full-packed Rod Laver arena. Among the cheers, Hewitt was rooting for the young Australian to take charge against Rublev. In the fifth set, the clock was nearing the four-hour mark.
De Minaur was slowly failing to cover the court as usual, but Rublev kept his energy flowing throughout the fifth set. He took a 4-0 lead as the crowd was hoping for a clutch comeback by De Minaur. Even Hewitt tried to communicate with the player and was about to signal with his hand. He stopped when the camera caught him, as he looked disappointed with De Minaur’s performance.
On-court coaching has recently been allowed on the ATP tour. But it comes with certain restrictions, as play must not be disrupted, the opponent must not be distracted, and the player must not be at the opposite end of the court. De Minaur was at the opposite end of the court, while Hewitt was trying to signal him to make Rublev run around the court. The Australian got bageled in the final set.
Melbourne marks debut of Lleyton Hewitt’s son
The 2024 Australian Open junior boys’ singles main draw saw the entry of Cruz Hewitt. The 15-year-old made his junior grand slam debut at the Australian Open. He was seen wearing the cap backward, just like his father. Cruz lost the opening match to Alexander Razeghi in straight sets. He hit five aces and 14 winners in the match but gave away points due to his 38 unforced errors.
Hewitt made his grand slam debut at the Australian Open in 1997, when he was 15 years old. He was featured in every edition of the event until his last grand slam appearance in Melbourne in 2016. It was a run down memory lane when Hewitt watched Cruz play at court 3. The teenager has won three ITF titles on the junior tour and is ranked No. 194 in the juniors.
Currently watching Lleyton Hewitt’s SON playing Grand Slam tennis.
Gosh, I’m old! pic.twitter.com/FTwuhdMQjO
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) January 21, 2024
Cruz has won four ITF junior titles, three of which came last year. He has won all his titles on the hard court. Former player Matt Reid is currently coaching Cruz. He hopes to follow his father’s legacy in Melbourne.