He was World No. 1 at just 20, defeated Agassi and Sampras, and now reveals his secret for success

In the 1990s, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi were two of the dominant forces in the world of tennis. However, as the new millennium approached, a young Australian defeated them both and ascended to the top of the rankings at just 20 years old, reaching that milestone before anyone else had.

Lleyton Hewitt began his professional career in 1998 and quickly showcased his exceptional talent. That same year, he became the youngest player ever to win an ATP tournament, defeating Jason Stoltenberg in the final of the 1998 Next Generation Adelaide International. At the time, he was just 16 years old.

However, his rise didn’t stop there. Three years later, at just 20, he achieved another major milestone in his career. After defeating Patrick Rafter at the Nitto ATP Finals in Sydney, Hewitt became the youngest player to ever hold the No. 1 ranking, a record he held for over two decades until Carlos Alcaraz surpassed him at 19 years old in 2022.

“I think the first time you get there means the most, because no one can take that away from you,” Hewitt said in an interview with the official ATP Tour website. “It is still very much an individual sport, tennis, and being out there at times can get very lonely. But that’s why I think when you’re able to get to the pinnacle of the game and get the most out of yourself, that’s where the satisfaction comes from.”

Hewitt’s secret to being World No. 1

Having been the youngest player to reach the top of the tennis world, Lleyton Hewitt is an expert on what that achievement truly means. “The only way you get the No. 1 ranking is to be unbelievably consistent,” he said.

“Giving 100 percent every time I stepped on the court gave me the best opportunity to compete against whoever it was,” the former Australian star added. “I think that mental toughness really helped.”

Hewitt defeated his idols to reach the top

To get to the top of the ATP rankings, Lleyton Hewitt had to overcome some of the best players of his time. On his way to his first title at the 1998 Adelaide International, he faced one of the stars he admired most. “I had a poster of this guy above my bed in my bedroom. Andre Agassi,” he revealed.

“It was surreal to be walking out on Memorial Drive Centre Court playing one of the absolute greats of the game. I walked on the court trying to be competitive and in the end, I couldn’t have dreamt that I would actually be able to beat Andre,” he said about that match.

In the year he reached World No. 1, Hewitt won his first Grand Slam by defeating Pete Sampras. “All of a sudden I had won the US Open,” he recalled. “Within three months I’m challenging for the No. 1 ranking. It all happened like a whirlwind.” Lleyton would remain the No. 1 player for 75 consecutive weeks.