There are Australian sporting icons, and then there's Lleyton Hewitt; the kid from Adelaide who grew into a world No.1, a two-time Grand Slam champion, and the heartbeat of Australia's Davis Cup teams for more than two decades.

His induction into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2025 feels like the natural final chapter in a career defined by grit, stubborn resolve, and a relentless belief that no challenge was ever too big.

But the moment also revived one of the most surprising chapters of his story: the year Hewitt almost walked away from tennis to chase an AFL dream.

Yes, it actually came that close.

A career worth celebrating

Hewitt's numbers alone justify his place among Australia's greatest athletes.

Thirty singles titles. Two Grand Slam triumphs. A world No.1 ranking achieved at just 20 years old. Twenty consecutive Australian Opens, spanning eras and rivalries.

And above all, his Davis Cup record made him one of the most important figures in Australian tennis for over twenty years.

He played the sport like every point was a hill worth dying on. The backward cap and the refusal to concede all built a reputation not merely for talent but on determination.

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Even after retiring, that spirit carried into his role as Davis Cup captain, where he became a mentor to the next generation, instilling the same hunger he once lived by.

This relentless identity is what the Hall of Fame recognised: not just the trophies, but the competitive heartbeat behind them.

The year the AFL came calling

But rewind to 2003, and Hewitt's life looked far less certain.

His Wimbledon title defence had ended abruptly. His world No.1 ranking was gone.

For the first time in his career, he felt the pull of something outside tennis, something rooted deep in his childhood.

Footy.

Hewitt grew up surrounded by the sport. His father was a decorated player in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). His weekends revolved around the Adelaide Crows. Before tennis took over, he genuinely thought his future might be on an AFL field.

That dream didn't disappear; it simply went dormant.

So when Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams reached out, or, depending on the version, when Hewitt explored the idea himself, the conversation wasn't a novelty. It was a real opportunity.

And for a few weeks, Hewitt let himself imagine what that life might look like.

The match that changed everything

Then came the match that altered the course of his career: a Davis Cup semi-final against Roger Federer.

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Down two sets, facing one of the sport's rising greats, Hewitt dug into the part of himself that had carried him through countless battles. The comeback he produced became one of his most beloved wins, not only for its drama, but for what it reminded him.

That he still belonged in tennis.

Soon after, he phoned Williams and closed the door on AFL for good.

A legacy strengthened

What makes Hewitt's Hall of Fame induction so compelling is the knowledge that his path wasn't fixed.

He could have taken the gamble. Instead, he doubled down on the sport that defined him and gave Australia one of its fiercest competitors.

His almost-switch to AFL doesn't weaken his legacy. It sharpens it.

It shows that greatness isn't just built on what athletes choose, but on what they choose not to walk away from.