Australian Open: Hewitt plays his last singles game

A centre-court ceremony was held for the 34-year-old on Thursday following his second-round singles loss to David Ferrer.

Third-seeded Garbine Muguruza, the 2015 Wimbledon finalist, advanced with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Kirsten Flipkens, No 7 Angelique Kerber and No 15 Madison Keys also advanced. It included some dramatic rallies, a few expletives, including a verbal volley Hewitt had with the chair umpire and was capped off by an emotional send-off on Rod Laver Arena.

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“I gave everything I have, like always, and left nothing in the locker room and that is something I can always be proud of”, Hewitt said in a courtside interview. “My whole career I’ve given 100 percent”, Hewitt said to hearty applause and was then joined on the court by his three children, aged 5, 7 and 10.

“I’d just like to thank everyone”, Hewitt said. I think you’re playing such a high level of tennis and to be honest, you’re definitely still the best player in Australia’. “I was getting goose bumps out here tonight”.

Later that year he went on to win the season-ending Tour Finals and become the youngest ever world number one at 20 years and nine months.

Hewitt won a total of 30 singles titles and he also helped Australia to the Davis Cup trophy on two occasions.

Lleyton Hewitt of Australia serves in his third round match with Sam Groth of Australia against Vasek Pospisil of Canada and Jack Sock of the United States during day seven.

As Lleyton Hewitt bows out of the Australian Open, global tennis greats have reflected on the retiring champion.

Neither can anyone quibble about Hewitt’s renowned tenacity, which came to the fore when he took a risky decision to have radical foot surgery back in February 2012.

More treatment on his exhausted little legs, and the strain was beginning to tell on his watching family, and perhaps even a hint of misty-ness in the old Hewitt eyes as he looked around.

Hewitt remains a role model in the 2000’s tennis.

“He did polarise people, some obviously loved him and some hated him but the general consensus right now is that everybody appreciates what he has given to this game all the way through his career”. “I have a museum in my house and I have a T-shirt of Lleyton”. He is who he is and he makes no excuses for that. His unabashed patriotism and love of Davis Cup inspired and filled his nation with pride, and fertilized the ground for an exciting new generation that is now emerging as a force in tennis. I’m sure about that.

“It was fascinating to watch his respective battles against Roger [Federer] and David Nalbandian”.

Ferrer, whose game is very similar to Hewitt’s, had nothing but positive things to say about Hewitt afterwards.

Captures first title, at his home town in Adelaide, over fellow Australian Jason Stoltenberg in 1998 after stunning Andre Agassi in the semi-finals.

Hewitt turned professional in 1998 and tasted major success for the first time at the 2001 US Open, thrashing 14-time Grand Slam victor Pete Sampras in the final 7-6 6-1 6-1 at the age of just 20.

His career could have been over five years ago when doctors advised him to stop playing after having his big toe fused. You’re trying to soak it up as much as possible out there one last time.