Lleyton Hewitt
2003 Award
Photo by Ron Angle
"I love Australia and our way of life. I'm very proud to be named the Young Australian of the Year." Lleyton Hewitt, at 21-years-of-age, has made an incredible mark on the world tennis stage. As the youngest ever player to be crowned World No. 1 in 2001 and by repeating that feat again in 2002, he has proved that true Australian grit and a never say die attitude can take you to the top - and keep you there. Lleyton was born in Adelaide in 1981 and lives his life by a work ethic instilled in him by his parents Cherilyn and Glynn, both sportspeople. He began playing tennis on his parents court and by the age of five was travelling with his family to Melbourne to watch the Australian Open. At eight he was winning matches against much older opponents and by 12 his love of tennis was overtaking his daily life. In 1998, after winning his first professional title in Adelaide at the age of 16 (a feat that had not been accomplished on Tour in ten years!), Lleyton decided that tennis was the life he wanted to pursue. He joined the ATP Tour full time and achieved victories over more experienced players such as Pete Sampras. In 1999, Lleyton made his Davis Cup debut in the United States alongside his hero Pat Rafter. At 20 he became the youngest male player to win the U.S. Open (2001) since Pete Sampras over a decade earlier. Few expected Lleyton to retain his No. 1 ranking last year after beginning it with the chickenpox. But with his close knit family and tennis-playing girlfriend Kim Clijsters behind him, he bounced back to be crowned the 2002 Wimbledon champion. In November, with his No. 1 ranking still on the line, Lleyton showed that he was no 'caretaker No. 1' by winning the Tennis Masters Cup for the second consecutive year, joining an exclusive club as one of only seven players in the history of the ATP rankings to finish as the No. 1 player in the world two years running. With his trademark back to front baseball cap, Lleyton is renowned for his mental toughness and gruelling training program. Off court, Lleyton has a well-known love of Australian Rules Football and strongly supports his home team, the Adelaide Crows. More importantly, Lleyton became a global ambassador for Special Olympics in 2002 and continues to support national organization such as the McGuiness McDermott Foundation, the Bone Growth Foundation, and the Starlight Foundation. At just 21-years-of-age, Lleyton Hewitt is a young man on a mission. His passion for tennis, his drive and determination to be the best and to prove to himself that he can succeed against all odds, should inspire all Australians.
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