Lleyton Hewitt will go down among the all-time greats, having once reached the pinnacle of men’s tennis.
Hewitt is a former number one player on the ATP Tour, with the Australian’s honors list including two Grand Slam titles.
Shortly after beating Pete Sampras in the final of the 2001 US Open, Hewitt won Wimbledon in 2002, beating David Nalbandian in the final.
The unforgettable triumphs are part of his 30 career titles on the ATP Tour, on which he claimed over 600 wins.
Lleyton Hewitt named Pat Cash among his tennis heroes
Hewitt would not have achieved so much success without many key figures, including those who inspired him beforehand.
That was a topic he discussed upon winning his maiden Grand Slam title, after which Hewitt was asked for his greatest heroes in Australian tennis.
He responded: “Australian tennis? You know, it was a strange sort of time when I was growing up. Pat Cash was sort of really the only guy when I was growing up.
“I was pretty much about on the tour when Pat started to win the Slams. Pat Cash obviously. Just for a guy to sort of idolize.”
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And when asked for any other players in that regard, he said: “I loved watching Mats Wilander play, no doubt about that.
“He plays a similar game to me, as well. I love Stefan Edberg as well. For some reason, two Swedes, I like them.”
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Hewitt certainly had fantastic players to draw inspiration from, with all three players boasting Grand Slam success.
His fellow Australian Cash famously climbed into the crowd after clinching his only such title at Wimbledon in 1987.
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Swedish icons Wilander and Edberg meanwhile enjoyed phenomenal success, winning seven and six Grand Slam titles respectively.
Like Australian icons Hewitt and Cash, the pair are undoubtedly among their nation’s greatest ever sportspeople.
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