Stoltenberg cashes in as Cahill, Hewitt split over family rift
By Richard Hinds
A fallout between Darren Cahill and the father of Lleyton Hewitt is believed to have been behind the surprise split between the world No1 and his coach.
Hewitt announced through his agent Octagon that another former Australian player, Jason Stoltenberg, would replace Cahill next year, an unusual decision given Hewitt's success.
Cahill, who had been with Hewitt for three years, had been widely praised for his role in his fellow South Australian's rapid rise up the rankings and his US Open triumph.
Although Cahill's contract had expired and he has family commitments in Adelaide after the birth this year of his first child, the timing of the split is extraordinary.
There were reports Cahill had experienced a rift with Hewitt's parents Glynn and Cherilyn over a denial of Cahill's request to bring his wife and child on tour.
However, while Cahill has overseen Hewitt's incredible ascent, it is believed Glynn had continued to take a hands-on role in his preparation and scheduling. That had led to rumours of conflict with Cahill earlier this year.
Hewitt's Australian-based agent John McCurdy yesterday would not take phone calls about the decision to replace Cahill. An Octagon spokesperson said Hewitt's only comment would be a prepared statement which made no mention of reports of a falling out.
Cahill, who watched Hewitt play on all three days of last weekend's Davis Cup final, is holidaying in Queensland and could not be contacted.
The Octagon statement quoted him as saying: "Obviously, it has been a very rewarding three years for Lleyton and myself. But I am confident with Jason's support, Lleyton will not skip a beat."
Hewitt is quoted as saying: "Darren was one of the few people who really believed in me early on and I am extremely grateful for all of his guidance these past few years. However, Jason will provide me with invaluable experience and dedication moving forward which I am quite enthusiastic about."
Stoltenberg, a Wimbledon semi-finalist, will draw on widespread experience as a player in his new role. However Hewitt will be his first full-time coaching assignment. Given Hewitt's volatile on-court demeanour and the enormous expectations he now carries, the role represents a major challenge for the 31-year-old Stoltenberg.
"Lleyton and I will be together in Adelaide immediately after Christmas to begin preparations for the Hopman Cup in Perth and the rest of the Australian summer season," said Stoltenberg in the prepared statement. "Darren has done a wonderful job with him, but I look forward to helping Lleyton evolve his game further."
Stoltenberg retired following Wimbledon this year, when he was ranked at No96.
Stoltenberg began on the professional circuit in 1987, winning more than $US3 million ($A5.82 million) in prizemoney.
Another part-time addition to the Hewitt entourage will be Andrea Bisaz, a Melbourne kinesiologist who has worked closely with Pat Rafter and the Davis Cup squad recently.
Cahill's departure is the first major change in the Hewitt camp since he announced his arrival as a major talent with an unexpected victory at the Australian Hardcourt championships in Adelaide when he was 16.
The split between Cahill and Hewitt is a surprise as the coach had been one of Hewitt's main supporters.
Cahill first had contact with Hewitt when he hit with the talented youngster when he was only 12. After his US Open victory and when he claimed the world No1 ranking following his win in last month's Tennis Masters Cup, Hewitt praised Cahill for his role.
Cahill also stuck by Hewitt following the controversy at the US Open when his charge was involved in a racial controversy over comments he made during a match with African American player James Blake.
Following Hewitt's win in the US Open, Cahill said that he believed the 20-year-old would only get better over the next three or four years.
"Lleyton has a lot of improvement to make in his game, and if he's prepared to do the hard work he can become much better," he said. "In saying that, there's no reason why he shouldn't be pushing for more grand slam titles.
"We weren't looking to win grand slams at the age of 18, 19, 20. We were looking at 24, 25, 26, and so on."
Cahill also said at the time he hoped Hewitt's win would finally endear him to those in Australia who have found him difficult to like because of his histrionics and some ill-considered comments.
"He's a good kid," Cahill said. "He certainly goes out there and gives it his all every time he plays. Even Lleyton said he's now learning not to get so pumped up all the time."
Former world No1 Pete Sampras will also have a new coach, Tom Gullikson, next year after Paul Annacone resigned.
Family feud behind Hewitt-Cahill split
By BRUCE MATTHEWS
08dec01
LLEYTON Hewitt has lost the coach who guided him to world No. 1 after Darren Cahill refused to buckle to a family ban.
Cahill told Hewitt he would not leave behind wife Victoria and nine-months old son Ben when he worked at tournaments around the world with the US Open champion.
While it was not essentially young Hewitt's edict, the strange family travel restrictions imposed on Cahill were the sticking point that eventually severed their four-years full-time partnership.
The origin of the ban is unclear, but it's known that Cahill's relationship with parents Glynn and Cherilyn Hewitt, who follow their son around the world, has been strained recently.
The split paved the way for another former Australian Davis Cup player and father-of-two Jason Stoltenberg to become Hewitt's coach.
Stoltenberg, also a client with Hewitt at sports management group Octagon, lives in Florida with Czech-born wife Andrea, four-year-old son Matthew, and seven-month-old daughter Amy.
The former Wimbledon semi-finalist said he wasn't aware of any restrictions on taking his family to tournaments.
"Andrea and my kids are my life, so whenever I can take my kids with me I will. We will do it as a family as much as we can," Stoltenberg said.
"When I was playing and now, at times, it doesn't make sense to have them there.
"Andrea will spend some time in Prague with the family when we're in Europe and when we're in the States we have our home here."
He will return to Australia after Christmas to begin work with Hewitt at the Hopman Cup in Perth later this month.
Cahill, whose nickname is "Killer", told Hewitt over an emotional dinner in Adelaide on Tuesday night that he couldn't accept the family exclusion conditions of a new annual agreement.
Hewitt said in a statement released by Octagon yesterday: "Darren was one of the few people who really believed in me early on and I am extremely grateful for all of his guidance these past few years.
"However, Jason will provide me with invaluable experience and dedication to move forward which I am enthusiastic about."
Cahill's wife and son spent eight to 10 weeks with him of the 32 weeks "on the road" this year.
It's believed Hewitt begged Cahill to stay, at first, before the decision to split at dinner.
They parted as friends.
The same can't be said for Cahill and father Glynn Hewitt. The pair sat apart during the triumphant US Open fortnight and have barely spoken since.
The relationship developed in Adelaide about eight years ago when Cahill started hitting with the enthusiastic young teenager for no fee. He eventually graduated to Hewitt's full-time coach in late 1997.
It became strained in August when Hewitt lost a third-round match to Morocco's Younes El Aynaoui at Indianapolis, before the US Open. The pair clashed after the match and Cahill berated Hewitt to get his mind back on the job.
Three weeks later, Hewitt thrashed Pete Sampras in the final to win his first grand slam singles crown.
Cahill was still in charge when Hewitt claimed the top ranking on his way to victory in the Masters Cup in Sydney last month and his wife sat in the president's reserve at Melbourne Park during the Davis Cup final last week.
Stoltenberg, ranked as high as No.19, captured four ATP singles titles and retired after Wimbledon last year.
The 31-year-old, originally from Newcastle, plans to resettle in Melbourne next year and Tennis Australia is keen for him to work with some of its junior squad members.
"I'm working with Lleyton as his primary coach. It's a great opportunity for me and I hope Lleyton sees it as an opportunity as well," Stoltenberg said.
"You're talking about the No. 1 player in the world. Lleyton and I have to spend some time together regarding his game.
"Obviously, things a working pretty well at the moment.
"He's only 20 and, being that young, he can be an even better player. So we will be looking to make those improvements.
"We need to sit down and get some time together, it should be fun.
"At some stage Andrea and I want to settle back in Australia, probably in Melbourne.
"I imagine that would take place sometime next year," he said.
Octagon moved quickly once Cahill decided to quit and the company's US boss Tom Ross telephoned an offer to Stoltenberg on Wednesday.
"It has all been pretty quick," Stoltenberg said.
"As to what happened with Lleyton and Darren, I have no idea.
"I know Darren really well. We're good mates. As far as I know everyone is still pretty good mates," he said.
"I don't make any decisions without Andrea knowing. We both made the decision.
"It's a great opportunity, the type of thing that doesn't come along every day."
Hewitt coaching offer was a surprise -- Stoltenberg
By Greg Buckle
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - The offer Jason Stoltenberg received to coach world number one Lleyton Hewitt came as a complete surprise, the former Australia Davis Cup player has said.
Stoltenberg, however, refused to speculate on Australian media reports which said the U.S. Open champion had split with Darren Cahill because his coach of three years felt claustrophobic about the constant hands-on role of Hewitt's father Glynn.
"It came as a surprise not only that I was asked to do the job but also that these guys weren't working together any more," Stoltenberg said in a telephone interview with Australian Broadcasting Corporation Radio from the United States.
"But I guess they were having their differences.
"The way things have worked out, they parted on good (terms) and they've had an incredible few years.
"I'm just very fortunate to have the opportunity.
"Darren's done a great job with Lleyton. The team have reached the top."
Hewitt's Octagon management made the announcement of the split with Cahill in a media release on Friday and made no further comment.
SOMETHING SPECIAL
"I know his family very well, since Lleyton first came on the scene when he was 16," said Stoltenberg, 31, who competed on the men's tour this year.
"He beat me in the final in Adelaide to win his first title (aged 16 years and 10 months in 1998). Since then I kind of knew he would be something special.
"His family are fine. I've got a good relationship with them and I'm sure that will continue."
Stoltenberg, who is based in Orlando, Florida, said although he knew Hewitt, 20, well, he would be learning as he went along as the pair tried to cope with the pressures of the world number one ranking.
"I'm confident that knowing Lleyton as I do that, yeah, things will work out. It's got a good chance of working but we'll see," said Stoltenberg, a Wimbledon semifinalist in 1996.
"He is the number one in the world. It is an unusual circumstance. There will be a lot of pressure on him to perform now.
"There is no reason to think that he can't handle it and improve from here."
Hewitt followed up his U.S. Open victory by capturing the world number one ranking on his way to winning the $3.7 million Masters Cup end-of-season tournament in Sydney in November.
Mentor backs Stolts' role
By DOUG ROBERTSON
08dec01
THE unexpected parting of world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt and his coach Darren Cahill ends a partnership which was greater than the sum of its parts.
They developed the exceptional, if raw and erratic, talents of an impatient teenager into the most lethal and calculating tennis player in the world.
The synergy between a wide-eyed Hewitt and the seasoned Cahill was obvious from the outset. Cahill had taken over from respected Adelaide coach Peter Smith -- Hewitt's first coach who also helped launch Davis Cup captain John Fitzgerald's international career.
A courageous Davis Cup performer and US Open semi-finalist before a shocking run of knee injuries ended his career in 1994, Cahill knew the pitfalls awaiting Hewitt.
He also knew where Hewitt's game was weak and had an uncanny ability to communicate with the teenage prodigy.
Cahill's career and an association through Tennis Australia's and Tennis SA's development programs had already influenced the young Hewitt.
Hewitt's father, Glynn, had noticed the depth of the relationship and asked Cahill on board in December 1998.
At 16, the precocious Hewitt stunned established stars like Andre Agassi and Jason Stoltenberg -- named yesterday as Cahill's replacement -- to win the 1998 AAPT Championships (Australian Hardcourt) in Adelaide.
A year earlier, Hewitt became the youngest player to qualify for the singles draw at the Australian Open. But after Cahill signed on as full-time coach and travelling partner, the rise up the chain has been incredible.
The 20-year-old has repeatedly told the world he attributed much of his success to Cahill's influence and is said to be shattered by the split.
He had the talent to make it to No. 1, even without Cahill, but few dreamed it would come so quickly.
Under Cahill Hewitt's ranking jumped from 113 in 1998, to 22nd in '99, seventh last year and now No. 1.
Smith, travelled with Hewitt as stand-in coach earlier this year while Cahill took time off to be with wife Victoria for the birth of son Ben.
"It's pretty hard to predict where Lleyton would be without Darren, but it's definitely been a good association," Smith said.
"For the last year we thought No. 1 was going to happen because Lleyton's improvement has been so consistent. But to get there so quickly is phenomenal."
Smith, said Stoltenberg's personality would suit Hewitt.
"Stolts is very similar to Cahill and they were of similar ability as player. I don't see many differences.
"Lleyton will get get better as a player because there's things about his game he is working on."
Stolts bolts in as new Hewitt coach
World No.1 tennis player Lleyton Hewitt has announced Jason Stoltenberg will replace Darren Cahill as his coach next year.
Stoltenberg, the former Wimbledon semi-finalist and Australian Davis Cup member, assumes primary coaching duties ahead of next month's Australian Open and will then travel with Hewitt throughout the year.
Cahill, Hewitt's coach for the past few years, advised him of his decision not to continue upon the expiration of his annual agreement this month.
"Obviously, it has been a very rewarding three years for Lleyton and myself," said Cahill.
"But I am confident with Jason's support, Lleyton will not skip a beat."
Stoltenberg will be joined periodically by Andrea Bisaz, the physical therapist with the Australian Davis Cup team.
"Lleyton and I will be together in Adelaide immediately after Christmas to begin preparations for the Hopman Cup in Perth and the rest of the Australian summer season," said Stoltenberg.
"Darren has done a wonderful job with him, but I look forward to helping Lleyton evolve his game further."
Hewitt said: "Darren was one of the few people who really believed in me early on and I am extremely grateful for all of his guidance these past few years.
"However, Jason will provide me with invaluable experience and dedication moving forward which I am quite enthusiastic about."
Police called to Hewitt family home
09dec01
THE wife of coach Darren Cahill is upset with speculation she was the cause of
the break-up between her husband and tennis world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt.
On a golfing holiday at the Coolum Hyatt on the Sunshine Coast with 16 past and
present tennis players, Cahill, 36, said: "I really would prefer not to
comment . . . it's been stressful . . . particularly for my wife Victoria."
The Hewitt family was yesterday believed to be holed up inside their luxury West
Lakes home and refused all requests for interviews.
Police were called to the property -- at the request of the family -- to urge a
small media contingent waiting outside to leave. Cahill announced on Friday he
would no longer coach the star after Hewitt, 20, issued an edict to him to leave
Victoria and their nine-month-old son, Ben, at home as they travelled the world
circuit.
However, friends said there was more to the decision by Cahill not to renew his
contract. The split between the two Adelaide-born stars, both from noted South
Australian sporting families, has sparked a furore.
It comes just three weeks after Hewitt took top spot in the world rankings after
a stellar year that included winning the US Open.
When asked yesterday if Hewitt's parents had any influence on the split, Cahill
said: "I'm proud of what Lleyton and I have achieved over the past few
years."
He declined to comment further.
When asked about his coaching future Cahill said: "I'm on holidays for
another week, I'll start thinking about it then."
He added: "We're trying to be dignified." In Adelaide, the Cahill and
Hewitt camps closed doors behind their champions. Neither side was willing to
buy into reports that a rift between Hewitt's parents, Glynn and Cherilyn, and
Cahill fuelled the split.
Victoria Cahill, speaking from her suburban Adelaide home, politely but firmly
declined to discuss either the split or the difficulty of combining family life
with the hectic schedule of the world tennis circuit. "This is something
that is between Darren and Lleyton," she said.
"It really has got nothing to do with me -- you will have to speak to
Darren."
Hewitt is taking a break here and has appointed Jason Stoltenberg as his new
coach, despite his lack of coaching experience.
I won't be your coach'
08dec01
DARREN Cahill has chosen his family over Lleyton Hewitt within weeks of the
20-year-old claiming the world No. 1 ranking.
A clause forbidding Cahill from taking wife Victoria and nine-month-old son Ben
to tournaments around the world ended their eight-year relationship, the last
four as player and coach.
Cahill told Hewitt of his decision at an emotional dinner last Tuesday.
Former Wimbledon semi-finalist and Australian Davis Cup player Jason Stoltenberg
was immediately approached to take over and agreed. He will team with Hewitt at
the Hopman Cup in Perth starting on December 29.
"You're talking about the No. 1 player in the world. Lleyton and I have to
spend some time together regarding his game. Obviously, things are working
pretty well at the moment," Stoltenberg said.
Hewitt and Cahill parted on good terms but there was underlying tension between
Lleyton's father Glynn and Cahill. The pair kept their distance throughout the
US Open when Hewitt claimed his first Grand Slam title.
Coach out of the picture
By Patrick Miles
December 08, 2001
EXACTLY three weeks after Lleyton Hewitt became the best player in the world –
crowned amid a tumultuous fanfare at the Sydney SuperDome – the man who took
him
to the top has been replaced by a trainee.
After all the hard work, living in hotels and airports, travelling week
in, week out, Darren Cahill has had enough.
Cahill, 36, parted company yesterday with Hewitt, who
immediately announced that another quiet Australian, Jason
Stoltenberg, would take on the prestigious role as his
replacement.
For Cahill to quit while he was so far ahead was surprising, but
not altogether unexpected.
The seeds of the amicable split were sewn after the US Open in
September, where the 20-year-old Hewitt broke through for his first
grand slam title.
In the following weeks, Cahill decided, even before Hewitt was
crowned world No. 1 during the Tennis Masters Cup, that his own
family had to come first.
He had spent three years within the very close, some say claustrophobic confines
of the
Hewitt family, barely able to conduct a practice session without the constant
presence
of father Glynn and mother Cherilyn.
Cahill was not comfortable with the constant pressure from the parents. He
insisted
whenever possible that he not sit with them during matches.
He also felt his job was done. The goals he set for the teenage Hewitt had been
met. It
was time to move on. That those goals were met about three years ahead of
schedule
only firmed his resolve.
The fact that Cahill's wife, Victoria, gave birth to their first child in March
was another
factor.
The softly-spoken son of John Cahill, one of the all-time greats in South
Australian
football, is a man of honesty and principle. The timing of his decision proves
that money
and fame were never his motivations.
Hewitt's choice of the 31-year-old Stoltenberg as a full-time replacement coach
is
surprising.
Hewitt was in a position to attract anyone for any price. He had the clout and
the cash
to sign a high-profile coach.
Tony Roche, who has more time on his hands since Pat Rafter's departure from the
scene a week ago, was not approached.
One coach mentioned was retired Swedish player Mats Wilander, who Hewitt
worshipped as a child and whose association with the volatile Russian, Marat
Safin, is
unlikely to be long-term. Instead, Hewitt chose a friend and a low-profile
Australian, one
close to his own age and one with whom he feels comfortable.
Stoltenberg has never coached before so he would have been cheap. He retired
from the
men's tour at Wimbledon this year after a modest career where he established
himself
as one of the genuine nice guys of the sport. There are however a number of
telling
similarities between the new coach and the old. They were both solid journeymen
on the
tour, their best result was to make one grand slam semi-final – Cahill at the
US Open
and Stoltenberg at Wimbledon.
Stoltenberg comes to Hewitt as a rookie coach, as did Cahill, and in that
self-effacing
way of his predecessor, he will keep Hewitt's head from getting too big.
Another member of Hewitt's entourage who helps keep the player's feet on the
ground is
school friend Hayden Eckermann, a paid travelling companion who has helped ease
the
drudge of life on the road.
Eckermann, who started primary school with Hewitt 15 years ago, goes everywhere
with
the 20-year-old to "keep the star grounded and focused while travelling",
according to
the boys' former school principal, Robert Hoff.
This now is Stoltenberg's world.
Roche said yesterday it was "a pretty good move" on Hewitt's part and
wished
Stoltenberg good luck in his new venture. "It's always a challenge when you
accept a
job like that for the first time," Roche said, "and you couldn't get a
better bloke for the
job."
Cahill said his three years had been "very rewarding", adding he was
confident that "with
Jason's support, Lleyton will not skip a beat".
Stoltenberg, who has a wife, Andrea, and two young children of his own, said he
was
looking forward "to helping Lleyton evolve his game".
"Lleyton and I will be together in Adelaide immediately after Christmas to
begin
preparations for the Hopman Cup in Perth and the rest of the Australian summer
season," he said.
Hewitt paid tribute to his first coach. "He was one of the few people who
really believed
in me early on and I am extremely grateful for all of his guidance these past
few years,"
he said.
Cahill was a relaxed and dapper figure at the Davis Cup final in Melbourne last
weekend,
watching with enthusiasm from the stands, far from his usual position in the
players' box
with Hewitt's parents, his sister Jaslyn and his girlfriend, Kim Clijsters.
Cahill, who has business interests in Adelaide, including a share in a night
club with
former Test cricketer Tim May and former Adelaide Crow Chris McDermott, is now
free
to determine his future away from the omnipresent Hewitt clan.
After three intense years, it will be a relief.
Lleyton's parent trap *(typical hype and negativity from
the media)
By JOHN THIRSK
11dec01
LLEYTON Hewitt's father Glynn is aware he is walking a tennis tightrope between
shaping his son's stellar career and overtaking it.
Since the split between US Open champion and world No.1 Hewitt and coach Darren
Cahill last Friday, Glynn Hewitt has been accused of behind-the-scenes
manoeuvring to bring in Jason Stoltenberg, a former Davis Cup teammate of Hewitt
and Wimbledon semi-finalist.
Hewitt Sr yesterday told The Daily Telegraph from his Adelaide home that
"he would not buy into the argument at this stage, and it would be
counterproductive to do so".
Glynn Hewitt has been a driving force in his son's four-year professional
career, travelling the circuit at major tournaments with wife Cherilyn.
But now, in the wake of Cahill's extraordinary "resignation" just 21
days after Lleyton was crowned world No.1, Glynn Hewitt is being seen as the
latest in a long line of tennis parents from hell.
But he claimed those accusations were the result of "some media being out
to get me".
Sources said Cahill's split last Friday heightened the belief that Hewitt's
parents were worried they were being shut out of the decision-making in favour
of his coach of four years.
In that time Cahill took a 16-year-old Hewitt to the world No.1 ranking and to
his first grand slam title in New York last September.
Hewitt was crowned US Open champion after brushing aside Pete Sampras in the
final and that was when the first signs surfaced that all was not well inside
the Hewitt camp.
Cahill would call the shots in relation to tennis, setting out a practice
schedule and hitting up as practice partner.
Both Hewitt's parents would be there for emotional support and if he had a
problem he would naturally turn to them.
But for Hewitt Sr the boundaries between being an overwhelming influence and
backroom figure appear to have become clouded.
He says he can live with criticism of his influence on his son but the
detractors say he is following in the footsteps of nightmare tennis fathers
Damir Dokic, Nick Philippoussis, Jim Pierce, Stefano Capriati and Richard
Williams. But, with Lleyton winning his first grand slam title this year, Hewitt
Sr believes his mix is right.
Importantly, he says he would not tolerate criticism for protecting Lleyton,
believing it's his role to shield his son from negative influences.
No doubt, parents have a vital role to play in accepting the responsibility of
their children in the cauldron of professional sport.
But they also must realise when to let go.
The Hewitt family know they are in for a rough ride and are prepared to roll
with the punches.
A surprise change of coach is always going to be an unsettling time, but Glynn
Hewitt believes Lleyton will go on to bigger things in 2002 under Stoltenberg.
Break point as Lleyton chills out
By JOHN THIRSK
07dec01
AN exhausted Lleyton Hewitt has put up the "Gone Fishing' sign on the backyard tennis court at his parents' Adelaide home - setting aside three weeks for rest and rejuvenation.
After a draining campaign - both physically and emotionally - that took him to world No.1, the 20-year-old has taken a vacation.
"It's really the first time in two years that Lleyton has taken such a break," his father Glynn revealed yesterday.
"He's really earned a holiday after going non-stop this year."
Glynn Hewitt said his son would do things a 20-year-old would normally do on holiday - catch up with friends, go to the movies and play a bit of golf.
Hewitt suffered a thigh strain at the Tennis Masters Cup in Sydney last month which was aggravated during the Davis Cup final at Melbourne Park last week.
Therapist Andrea Bisaz, who treated the injury at both events, has suggested rest and further ultrasound treatment to rectify the problem before the Australian summer of tennis.
Australia's Davis Cup defeat hit Hewitt and his teammates hard and the young Australian feels totally drained, but he is still thrilled by his success this year.
"He has his girlfriend (Belgium ace Kim Clijsters) staying with us and his best mate Hayden Eckermann lives close by," Glynn Hewitt said.
"It's not going to be easy for Lleyton to come down from the high he's been on since winning in New York, then the Tennis Masters Cup and playing the Davis Cup final."
There are no fears the injury will force Hewitt out of the Hopman Cup in Perth starting on December 30.
Both Hewitt and Clijsters will compete in the tournament as a warm-up for the Australian Open starting at Melbourne Park on January 14.
Public Hero Nov 17 2001
He has mastered Pete Sampras on grass, Gustavo Kuerten on clay, and Andre
Agassi on hardcourt. At 20, Lleyton Hewitt has the tennis world trying to
work out how to beat him, writes Linda Pearce.
The handwritten profile was completed in neat capital letters by the
16-year-old South Australian. Favourite drink: Coke. Favourite movies:
Rocky, Beverly Hills Cop. Sportsperson: Greg Norman. What you most like
about tennis: money, travel. Where you see yourself in five years: playing
tennis.
That was Lleyton Hewitt in November, 1997, after he had become the youngest
qualifier in Australian Open history but before his astonishing debut
singles title in Adelaide two months later.
The Hewitt File
Height: 180cm.
Weight: 67kg.
Residence: Adelaide.
Career singles titles:11.
Career grand slam titles: 1.
Career prizemoney: $US4,448,415
($8,586,182).
Year-end ranking history: 2000: 7. 1999:
22. 1998: 113. 1997: 722.
RECENT YEAR-END No1s
2000: Gustavo Kuerten
1999: Andre Agassi
1993-98: Pete Sampras
1992: Jim Courier
1991: Stefan Edberg
PREVIOUS AUSTRALIAN No1s
(since rankings introduced in 1973)
John Newcombe 1974 (eight wks)
Pat Rafter 1999 (one week)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Four years on, Hewitt's tastes in fizzy drinks and beefy movie stars have
not changed but his circumstances clearly have.
The 20-year-old last night became the youngest year-end No1, and
Australia's first since rankings were introduced in 1973. After Gustavo
Kuerten's third consecutive loss in the Tennis Masters Cup round-robin
>yesterday, Hewitt had only to beat his friend and Davis Cup teammate, the
injured Patrick Rafter, to complete an ascension that had been predicted
but came speedily. That he did easily, 7-5 6-2.
Hewitt has learnt some hard lessons along the way. He has described the
Australian public as stupid, called umpires "spastics", fostered an
uneasy
relationship with an Australian tennis media he believes is critical and
negative, and was embroiled in a controversy involving a black line judge
and opponent James Blake.
Yet the eventual US Open champion was not merely cleared of any misconduct,
he also took away something more positive from New York, for the
race-related row and coach Darren Cahill had convinced Hewitt to channel
his energies away from the clench-fisted "c'mons" and histrionics of
his
earlier years towards the calmer yet still ferociously determined
competitor we see now.
"The biggest thing after that was just to block out everything and really
call on your mental toughness and your inner belief," Hewitt said this week
of the US Open incident. "I didn't want to let anything off court affect my
play on court because I felt like I was getting better and better as the
tournament went on and I didn't want to let any little slip hurt me on the
court. And it didn't."
Indeed, through it all, Hewitt has never lost sight of his direction or
ambition, or what he has considered his destiny since he first hit with
Cahill as a 12-year-old. Nor has he failed to play to his strengths or
recognise his weaknesses. For example, it was identified early on that
Hewitt's arsenal lacked a killer weapon. His backhand was solid enough, so
his forehand was built up dramatically. His serve, too, has improved
greatly.
Yet, more than anything else, Hewitt can thank his legs, heart and mind for
carrying him to the position in which he will wake this morning. Legs that
carry him around the court as fast and furiously as any player in the game;
the heart of a fierce competitor and passionate Davis Cup representative; a
mind that has long had to compensate for inferior physical size, and is
never beaten, intimidated or overawed.
Even when he first joined the Davis Cup squad as orange boy in 1997, he was
keen to hit with Rafter, and bold enough to try to beat him. And so it was
in his first tournament victory, when the Year 11 student and world No550
defeated Andre Agassi, Mark Woodforde and Jason Stoltenberg at Memorial
Drive in 1998. So it was on his Davis Cup debut, in 1999 in Boston, when he
buried Todd Martin, and again in last year's final in Barcelona, when he
wore down Albert Costa before a rabid first-day crowd.
And so it has been all year. Still hampered on-and-off by the mystery
ailment that has been variously diagnosed as a virus and an allergy, he has
claimed five titles including his first major, won at least 76 matches, and
proved his prowess on all surfaces. He has beaten Pete Sampras on grass,
Kuerten on clay, and Agassi on hardcourt.
When Hewitt first joined with Cahill, they were working towards winning
grand slams when he was 23 but the fact it has happened so quickly is
vindication of the plan rather than reason to alter it.
"I'm still working on the areas of my game that I feel I've still got to
work on. Nothing's really changed in that way," Hewitt said. "If I get
a
little bit stronger, I feel I can come into the net a bit more. I've got to
get cheaper points off my first serve, and if that starts happening I'm
going to win a lot of my matches a lot easier as well, and it'll give me a
better chance of doing well at the grand slams because you've got a bit
more petrol in the tank come the quarters, semi-finals."
And, of course, the finals, for Hewitt now expects nothing less. Perhaps,
privately, that has always been the case. He is becoming more guarded, and
talks in cliches about taking things one match at a time and hitting the
ball well.
Yet much else is the same: he still loves golf, the AFL and Hawaiian
pizzas, rates the Australian Open as his favourite tournament, lives in the
family home with his protective parents Glynn and Cherilyn and sister
Jaslyn, and wears his cap backwards because that's how it was for his first
tour victory, against fellow Australian Scott Draper in 1998, and it would
be bad luck to change anything now.
Perhaps least surprising of all is the fact that, as the former junior
champion wrote in his neat capital letters, he is still playing tennis.
Only four years have passed but his time has already come.