Hewitt Is Happy To Be Playing On Grass

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 26th June 2013

Hewitt Is Happy To Be Playing On Grass

epa03758468 Lleyton Hewitt of Australia celebrates a winner against Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland during their first round match for the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 24 June 2013. EPA/ANDY RAIN |

Former Wimbledon and US Open champion Lleyton Hewitt maintained he decided to go it alone and persevere with tennis career after receiving widespread advice that it would be best to quit following the major operation he underwent early last year to remodel a big toe.

No fewer than seven surgeons told Lleyton Hewitt his tennis career was finished if he had an operation that involved having bone cut from the big toe of his left foot and two screws and a metal plate permanently locked in.

Consequently the 32 year-old Australian has grown tired of questions asking exactly when he intended to retire. So the former Wimbledon and US Open champion used his beloved grass at the All England Club to prove his point 11 years after his title win by ousting eleventh seeded Stanislas Wawrinka.

“It’s obviously been a few years since I felt physically good on the court,” maintained a delighted Hewitt. “It makes some of these wins even more special for me, to know what I’ve been through, to still be here.”

The world number 70 said he had been told his career would be over if he went under the knife. His big toe was rendered arthritic and misshapen after years of digging into hard courts to launch his service action.

“There were two surgeons, the guy who ended up doing it and one other guy. There were probably five, six, seven that I spoke to worldwide. They said if I had it done, you’re done,” he said.

“In all my research beforehand – which was very extensive – I never found another athlete that had it done, or had it done and tried to come back and play any kind of sport. So that’s something I’m pretty proud of as well.”

The surgery – and persistent problems since his comeback – meant his ranking had slumped to 233 by July last year but he is now at his highest ranking since May 2011.

Complacency has never been a Hewitt trait and he doesn’t intend to start now after beating Wawrinka and he is shaping up to face Germany’s Dustin Brown in the second round.

“The moment that you knock off a decent player, then let your guard down, that’s when you’re going to go out of the tournament,” said the 2001 US Open champion.

“I still have to stay composed, be confident. Know that I’m hitting the ball well,” said Hewitt. “Still got to go out there and do the job, though. I know that I can still play the game. I compete against the best guys. I play well in the big tournaments, I think. That’s why I’m still playing.”

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FAILLEB says:

June 26, 2013 at 11:28 am

RT @10sBalls_com: Hewitt Is Happy To Be Playing On Grass: Former Wimbledon and US Open champion Lleyton Hewitt maintained… http://t.co/y3…