How Good Was Prime Lleyton Hewitt 🙌

Hewitt had a 10-9 head to head against Agassi/Sampras combined. He was beating them as a teenager and they weren't even that old. They were still in their 20s for the most part. I know a lot of fans on the internet only started watching tennis after the big 3 came along but this guy was a warrior and a rare talent and deserves respect. I think Aussies for the most part would know but others may not realise how many injuries and surgeries this guy had on his foot and hip during his mid-20s. At one stage he consulted 7 surgeons about an issue with his toe, had to put screws and a plate in it and even burned the nerve endings to stop the pain. None of that worked so he had to get the toe fused together and was told he would never play tennis again. He did and got to finish his career on his own terms, even beating Federer in his last match against him. Just because he doesn't have 20 Grand Slams doesn't mean wasn't a great champion, there were amazing players before the big 3 and there will be afterwards too.

That last point is my favourite point ever. That shot of Federer smiling as he was running down the last ball... at that moment it was more than just a competition. Both players loved the game and had captured the spirit of it. Beautiful to watch.

He was the original "fast Aussie" even before De Minaur was born...😌😏

Lleyton was the transition between the 90´s and the modern game. The determination to win, court coverage and counter attacking tennis was new in the game, back in the day. Lacking the consistence trough the whole season, but winning enough points to finish N1 two years in a row, he was a legend. His hip, besides Federer´s new era, marked the end of his peak-game. He brought to the game the "c´mon!!" with the swedish gesture "the vight". His trademark. Nor Federer, Djokovic, Alcaraz or whoever could yell c´mon like Lleyton used to. You could love him or hate him, but never went unnoticed. He didnt have to "create" a personality to be marketeable like many top players, he was like that since forever.

I remember someone saying that one of the reasons so many players found him so difficult was because of the three quarters type of pace he often hit at. It wasn't hard enough to rebound the pace back at him, and not soft enough to take advantage of, and it wrecked a lot of players' timing because they were so used to heavier pace coming at them. It took the players a while to figure him out - notably Roger Federer, who lost 7 of his first 9 matches against Hewitt.

Hewitt pioneered the game modern game by sliding consistently on hard courts. The kind of sliding we see today has its origins in Hewitt's early days.

His backhand was his weapon. It did all the heavy lifting. He did everything possible with that backhand. Lob, chip, drive, drop shot, volley. Took the ball early or late. Spin or flat. You name it.

What an athlete! And very clever and highly skilled. Most of all, he played with the heart of a lion. I am happy to have finally seen a glimpse of Leyton’s career. Count me as a fan!

That last point was absolutely insane

Imagine Lleyton Hewitt's dedication and never say die attitude in Nick Kyrgios!! Now, THAT would be a formidable player!!

One of the most impactful players ever. He was the first player who had both the returning and the court coverage to counter serve & volley. Sampras saw the writing on the wall at the 2001 USO.

That last point v Federer is possibly the best point I've ever seen after 30+ years of watching tennis.

Perfect way to close out this compilation 👏🏻👏🏻

That last point was one of the best ever..

Lleyton perfected the art of 'the winner only needs to make 1 more ball ball than their opponent'

He doesn’t get enough credit for how clean a hitter he was. He was fast, obviously, but there were other guys of comparable speed. They couldn’t effortlessly redirect pace or consistently thread passing shots on the full run, though.

Tackling complex subjects with such finesse; it's an intellectual delight.😚

Right before Federer's era began, Hewitt came around and surely made his mark👍It's suck that injuries ruined his career, but still, you can't deny the fact that he is an amazing player: he managed to win 2 Slams, 2 ATP Finals, 1 Master and remained the Youngest World No.1 for 20 years (up until Alcaraz broke this record in 2022)⭐

I've been on a prime Hewitt binge recently, so this is perfect.

Youngest prime ever. Peaked with 21(when many players are still on the rise) and then faded away. Capitalized best in the phase between prime Pete and prime big 3 eras.