Hewitt fined for Davis Cup bad boy act

Former great Lleyton Hewitt has been fined AUD 30,000 (USD 19,500) for offensive conduct during a Davis Cup tie last autumn and banned for a token two weeks, officials announced on Wednesday.

The 44-year-old, captain of the Australian Davis Cup team, was sanctioned for insulting an anti-doping official and shoving a volunteer escorting one of his players to a test.

The incidents occurred during the World group semi-final tie in Malaga against Italy, which the Aussies lost.

Hewitt, something of a hothead in his playing days, was unable to make it to a hearing before lst July, where his legal team mounted a defence.

But an August ruling shot down the former player’s self-defence argument, saying it “did not meet the requirements of self-defence” while calling his aggressive behaviour “not reasonable and proportionate.”

With Davis Cup play this weekend, the Hewitt ban does not take effect until September 24, meaning it will have zero real-life impact on the team captain.

Theoretically, Hewitt has the chance to file an appeal if he wishes. 

“Anti-doping personnel play a fundamental role behind the scenes in upholding the integrity of tennis, and they should be able to go about their roles without fear of physical contact. In this case, that line was clearly crossed, and we had no other option but to take action,” an official said.

Main photo:-Thanasi Kokkianakis is congratulated by team Captain Lleyton Hewitt during 2024 Davis Cup – ©daviscup