Lleyton Hewitt retires: 5 things that make him special

He is still the youngest ever men’s World No. 1, a record he set in 2001 at the age of 20. Nobody has been able to break that record yet.It’s a record Hewitt set only three years after turning professional – and beforeNow, at 34 years of age, and returning to tennis after what many considered an unrecoverable foot injury, Hewitt has decided to call it a day. His home Grand Slam, the Australian Open, will be the final professional tournament he plays.Here are 5 things about the Australian ace and his successful career:

#5 He comes from sporting roots

Hewitt’s parents are both athletes

...but those roots are not tennis-related. Hewitt’s father, Glynn, was a professional Australian Rules footballer who played in South Australia’s National Football League and was successful.

Hewitt Senior kicked 529 goals in his 258 league matches, and was himself a precocious talent, making his Aussie Rules debut at only 17. He had a 16-year career in the sport, and had a strong goal-scoring record with each team he played on.

The sporting talent wasn’t restricted to Glynn, however – Hewitt’s mother, Cherilyn, is a former physical education instructor, and his sister a tennis coach who used to be a bodybuilder.

Hewitt himself was skilled at a number of sports – including Aussie Rules – and made the shift to tennis in his early teens. The rest, of course, is history.