Billy Jean King, Andy Roddick and Andy Murray congratulate Lleyton Hewitt for his Hall of Fame induction

The Australian, a two-time Major winner, became the youngest player to be crowned World No. 1 after winning the 2001 Tennis Masters Cup a few months shy of his 21st birthday. The 2001 US Open and 2002 Wimbledon winner occupied the spot for 80 weeks and won over 600 singles matches in his career, including 30 titles.

Hewitt was officially inducted into the Hall of Fame this week after his original induction was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many eminent tennis personalities have commended Hewitt for the achievement. 39-time Major winner Bille Jean King tweeted:

Another former World No. 1 Andy Murray, who lost to Alexander Bublik in the Newport quarterfinals this week, said in a video:

Former and current Australian players like Gary Cahill, Jordan Thompson and Pat Rafter also commended their compatriot for the achievement.

Lleyton Hewitt dominated tennis legends Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal early on

Lleyton Hewitt was the player to beat on the men's tour in the early years of this century. He had announced his arrival when the then 16-year-old won the Adelaide' 98 title to become the third-youngest singles winner on the ATP tour.

The Australian dominated future legends Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal early on, winning four of his first five matches against both players. However, beset by injuries, Hewitt failed to keep up when Federer and Nadal took things up a notch.

After losing seven of his first nine matches against Hewitt, Federer won the next 15. He did lose two of the pair's last three meetings but still ended with a commanding 18-9 head-to-head advantage.

Against Nadal, Hewitt lost his last six matches to end with a head-to-head record of 4-7. Nevertheless, Hewitt has had a Hall of Fame-worthy career to be proud of. He's currently the captain of the Australian Davis Cup team.

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Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

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