Does Lleyton Hewitt need the money?

[zam88]

Otherwise why would a former #1 and 2 time grand slam champion subject himself to going out there tournament after tournament with 1 QF appearance in the last 6 years.

I don't get it... and i sure as hell hope Fed and Nadal don't allow themselves to be satisfied with that level of performance... it would be depressing.

If I was a true hewitt fan i would've wanted him to quit years ago.

[ark_28]

Originally Posted by zam88

Otherwise why would a former #1 and 2 time grand slam champion subject himself to going out there tournament after tournament with 1 QF appearance in the last 6 years.

I don't get it... and i sure as hell hope Fed and Nadal don't allow themselves to be satisfied with that level of performance... it would be depressing.

If I was a true hewitt fan i would've wanted him to quit years ago.

Was thinking about this myself, it is a tough one isnt it?? I mean I guess many will say that if he is still enjoying it then keep going, at least one thing you can say is that being an individual he is not letting anyone down as such, (In cricket the legendary Sachin Tendulkar has been woeful for India for 2 years after a 20 year career they will not drop him and now people are starting to lose respect as the great man is becoming a liability) Hewitt does not have to worry about that!

But it also depends on how Hewitt wants to be seen himself! I like you find it very hard to see how a former world number 1 and 2 time grand slam champion can be happy playong out a few years on tour like a journeyman it does not make much sense to me either!

[Doubles]

He still plays because he loves tennis. What more reason do you need?

[Masayoshi]

I think you guys underestimate how enjoyable it can be to make a living at your passion in life. Maybe he loves the game, maybe he loves the competition, or maybe he loves the spotlight. Whatever it is, that can be way more of a motivating factor than one's "legacy" or whatever.

Look at all those rock bands that persist well after they're culturally significant. The Rolling Stones are still out there playing now, when their heyday was 40+ years ago! And of course living the rock & roll lifestyle at their age seems weird/creepy/immature to a lot of people, but they don't seem to care.

As long as Lleyton continues to earn his spot on the tour, more power to him. As was said, it's not like he's bringing a team down with a high veteran salary or something.

EDIT: As for his decline compared to years past, I can imagine shifting the goalposts a little from winning a slam to upsetting a top 10 seed at a slam. If he's someone that thrives on challenge, he can define that challenge to one that's reasonably feasible. Once he achieves that goal, he may set the goalposts further out again.

[iriraz]

Well if he needed the money he would play tons of tourneys.But except the Slams he is barely seen on tour.A few tourneys here and there but other then that he is probably enjoying his family life and trying to compete in the biggest events.I wouldn`t consider him at this point a full season player.
IMO he should call it quits after this season if he can`t improve his ranking so he doesn`t have to rely on wildcards all the time

[Cormorant]

Hewitt's form is sound (as is his health, according to him), so it's a shame that he can't buy any composure when two points from a set or, say, when he's leading by a double break. I've not forgotten how close he came to beating Ferrer at the USO last year(before his fitness failed him), nor the fact that two-thirds of his exits in slams in the past six years have come at the hands of established top ten players.

He remains good value in majors, and I think only when he stops entertaining us with some vintage play will we have the right to float the prospect of him hanging up his hat.

[Masayoshi]

Originally Posted by Cormorant

He remains good value in majors, and I think only when he stops entertaining us with some vintage play will we have the right to float the prospect of him hanging up his hat.

Indeed. I love his hands at the net - a rare trait nowadays. Too bad he doesn't have the power on serve or ground strokes to really hang with the elite players, though.

[namelessone]

Why not keep playing if he ENJOYS it? I'm sure he's got enough money but athletes that really really love what they do tend to keep going for as long as physically possible. It's said that every athlete has 2 deaths: once they leave the sport(for many it means that the career they trained for since they were children ends around age 30-35) and when they actually die.

A post tennis career might sound amazing to us(lots of money, free time, spend more time with the family) but for the guys involved it also means that they don't have anything to do, unless they are willing to become coaches or something like that, finding something to keep them busy.

[zam88]

Originally Posted by Doubles

He still plays because he loves tennis. What more reason do you need?

then play on the seniors circuit or something.

How can it be fun to train hard enough to get into these grand slam tournaments to maybe win... one match? maybe zero matches?


If he's really having fun out there getting pwned, then far be it from me to question it... but it seems miserable to me. Seems like if i were him i would've capitalized on my fame and became a tennis announcer for Aussie TV

[zam88]

Originally Posted by namelessone

A post tennis career might sound amazing to us(lots of money, free time, spend more time with the family) but for the guys involved it also means that they don't have anything to do, unless they are willing to become coaches or something like that, finding something to keep them busy.

i do recognize that he's only in his low 30's and has the rest of his life to pursue a second career, be retired, or do whatever he wants to do.

[Masayoshi]

Originally Posted by zam88

then play on the seniors circuit or something.

How can it be fun to train hard enough to get into these grand slam tournaments to maybe win... one match? maybe zero matches?


If he's really having fun out there getting pwned, then far be it from me to question it... but it seems miserable to me. Seems like if i were him i would've capitalized on my fame and became a tennis announcer for Aussie TV

It's different competing on the "real" tour. You're in there with the best, and you're a part of history. Even if you don't do so well. Each time you upset even a 12th seed or something, you're having an impact on how the whole tournament shakes out. And you get to test yourself against the best, not some random 50 year old former great.

[heninfan99]

Wasn't it just a year ago he beat Raonic in the AO?
He gave Tips (top ten player) a tough match).

I think he's worked hard to overcome a tough injury and wants to compete while he can. Like another poster said, plenty of time for him to work in TV and continue with his clothing line down the road.

I like seeing him out there.

Originally Posted by zam88

then play on the seniors circuit or something.

How can it be fun to train hard enough to get into these grand slam tournaments to maybe win... one match? maybe zero matches?


If he's really having fun out there getting pwned, then far be it from me to question it... but it seems miserable to me. Seems like if i were him i would've capitalized on my fame and became a tennis announcer for Aussie TV

[loci]

for the professional athlete, competition at the world-class level is a drug. nothing more, nothing less. for someone as strong-willed as hewitt, he's going to leave the tour only when he feels that he can no longer overcome the circumstances of injury or poor results. right now, he believes that there is something still left to fight for. that's admirable and while out there, that attitude is the right one to have.

[Flash O'Groove]

I wonder why he doesn't retire, pick up a new job in a office, and spend all his time on a tennis board waiting to go back home to watch some tennis...

By the way, you guy could also recognize that he has very few shameful loss in slams. Here are his last opponent in each slams since 2005.

2006: Chela, Nadal, Baghdatis, Roddick
2007: Gonzales, Nadal, Djokovic, Callieri
2008: Djokovic, Ferrer, Federer, -
2009: Gonzales, Nadal, Roddick, Federer
2010: Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Matthieu
2011: Nalbandian, - , Söderling, -
2012: Djokovic, Kavcic, Tsonga, Ferrer

The draw were never kind to him.

[Relinquis]

It's not about money. Lleyton is Lleyton ; a fighter.

competing at this level gives his life a purpose. this matters a lot once you turn 30 and have achieved a bit of success.

you train, you practice, you keep in shape, you develop techniques to compensate for injuries, you go out there focused and test yourself against the best in the world. it gives you meaning and fills the emptiness of life.

what else is there to strive for? rafter is leading the Davis Cup team and Hewitt doesn't seem like the coach type. he doesn't seem like the business type either, as if making money would fill the tennis void.

love him or hate him, there are strong reasons for both, he has always been a fighter. i think he'll keep at it until his body breaks down even more and stops him. i think that's admirable in a way.

I'm not complaining, he's still great to watch as his latest match showed us.

[joeri888]

In 10 years id rather see fed like Hewitt than not At all. Hewitt is actually fun to root for these days

[Clarky21]

Originally Posted by Flash O'Groove

I wonder why he doesn't retire, pick up a new job in a office, and spend all his time on a tennis board waiting to go back home to watch some tennis...

By the way, you guy could also recognize that he has very few shameful loss in slams. Here are his last opponent in each slams since 2005.

2006: Chela, Nadal, Baghdatis, Roddick
2007: Gonzales, Nadal, Djokovic, Callieri
2008: Djokovic, Ferrer, Federer, -
2009: Gonzales, Nadal, Roddick, Federer
2010: Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Matthieu
2011: Nalbandian, - , Söderling, -
2012: Djokovic, Kavcic, Tsonga, Ferrer

The draw were never kind to him.

Nadal did not even play the AO in 2006 so how could Hewitt have played him?

I also think that if Lleyton wants to play then let him. He's not hurting anyone by continuing on. He's still competitive enough and had a great start to this year before the AO, a slam he has never really done well at anyway. Nothing wrong with him wanting to still go out and compete.

[Sabratha]

Originally Posted by Clarky21

Nadal did not even play the AO in 2006 so how could Hewitt have played him?

I also think that if Lleyton wants to play then let him. He's not hurting anyone by continuing on. He's still competitive enough and had a great start to this year before the AO, a slam he has never really done well at anyway. Nothing wrong with him wanting to still go out and compete.

French Open. He lost in the 2nd round of the Australian Open to Chela in 2006.

[tacou]

Rusty is one of the few true competitors left on tour. I mean I love Jo Tsonga but the dude is top 8 for awhile now and still has a very questionable mental game and he is far from the only one in the top 20 like this.

In the past few years Lleyton has had a lot of injury trouble, and yet when he returns and gets some matches in him, he's had decent results until the next injury. His AO last year was solid and he won Halle not too long ago beating Fed.

I think Lleyton wants to play (sooner than later of course) a full season without injury and see how he does. A full seasons for him of course will still be about 10 tourneys, but ideally with no injuries in between.

[Doubles]

Originally Posted by zam88

then play on the seniors circuit or something.

How can it be fun to train hard enough to get into these grand slam tournaments to maybe win... one match? maybe zero matches?


If he's really having fun out there getting pwned, then far be it from me to question it... but it seems miserable to me. Seems like if i were him i would've capitalized on my fame and became a tennis announcer for Aussie TV

Why should he play the Senior Circuit? Last I checked, a broken down Hewitt gave tipsarevic a close three set match. He's not what he used to be, but he's still got game.
He. Clearly wants to play and the idea of playing seniors must be rather boring to him.