“Rafael Nadal was carrying the flag in front of 20,000 people” - Llyeton Hewitt remembers getting "booed" by Spanish fans in 2000 Davis Cup final

Former tennis player Lleyton Hewitt recently recalled getting "booed" in Rafael Nadal's presence at the 2000 Davis Cup final between Australia and Spain held in Barcelona.

Hewitt took up tennis professionally in 1998 and competed on the court until 2016. He won two Grand Slam tournaments - the US Open in 2001 and Wimbledon in 2002 - and held the men's World No. 1 ranking for 80 weeks during his career.

The Australian is currently in Malaga, Spain, with the national tennis side as a head coach for their 2023 Davis Cup Final 8 campaign. Australia have defeated the Czech Republic 2-1 and moved into the semifinals.

While praising the experiences he gained from the tournament, Hewitt recently decried the current Davis Cup format. Since 2019, the teams have played group-stage and knockout matches on neutral soil, which has resulted in low spectator attendance in the stands.

"The No. 1 thing is home-and-away ties. I have watched plenty of vision the last few years, even of back in the day when I was playing, Cash, Rafter, these guys. The crowds, even me coming back here to Spain and remembering 2000," he said (via Yahoo Sport).

The former World No. 1 recalled Australia's 2000 Davis Cup final against Spain, which was played on clay in Barcelona. Spain enjoyed massive support from the crowd as the home side and thwarted the defending champions 3-1.

Hewitt mentioned he was jeered from the stands as a young Rafael Nadal, not part of the squad, walked out with Spain's national flag.

"Rafa Nadal was carrying the flag onto the court in front of over 20,000 people, all booing and screaming against me, and it was still an unbelievable atmosphere that I’d want a dream of playing in. You know, that’s what the Davis Cup was about," he said.

"So yeah, whether we played home semis and finals in Rod Laver Arena or away in France, in Nice, or obviously Barcelona, it was an unbelievable experience and some of my best memories. Some of my hardest memories, as well, but some of my very best."

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Rafael Nadal leads Lleyton Hewitt 7-4 in their head-to-head

The Australian Open - Day 8

Rafael Nadal and Lleyton Hewitt met each other on court on 11 occasions between 2004 and 2014. The Spaniard won seven matches, while the Australian won four.

The duo first met at the Australian Open in the year 2004, where Hewitt bettered his opponent 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5), 6-2. The next two encounters at the Canadian Open in 2004 and at the Melbourne Major in 2005 also went in the two-time Grand Slam champion's favor.

Nadal registered his first success against the Australian in 2006 at the French Open, winning 6-2, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 in the pre-quarterfinals. In the next seven ties, Hewitt could only manage one more victory as the 22-time Grand Slam champion picked up six wins.