Hewitt may quit tennis for Aussie footy
NEW YORK -- Former Wimbledon and US Open champion Lleyton Hewitt revealed on Friday that he was considering quitting tennis to play Australian rules football.
The 22-year-old Australian told US Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe during a television interview before next week's US Open that he did not care if abandoning his tennis career cost him millions of dollars a year.
Hewitt, whose father Glynn is a former Aussie rules player, and who is a fervent fan of the Adelaide Crows, has not won a tennis tournament in five months and has slipped to sixth in the world rankings.
The last time Hewitt played the rugged Aussie game was when he attended Adelaide private school Immanuel College, but he impressed with his skills during a charity football match in Adelaide last September.
'He really surprised me by saying that he would love to play Australian rules football and not necessarily love to be a tennis player for the next eight years,' said McEnroe.
'He said it like: 'No one has ever won two slams and played Australian rules football' ... I sensed it was something that intrigued him.
'I asked him if he wanted to be the Bo Jackson of Australia, Bo played baseball and American football, and he said: 'I wouldn't go that far'.' -- AFP
NEW YORK -- Former Wimbledon and US Open champion Lleyton Hewitt revealed on Friday that he was considering quitting tennis to play Australian rules football.
The 22-year-old Australian told US Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe during a television interview before next week's US Open that he did not care if abandoning his tennis career cost him millions of dollars a year.
Hewitt, whose father Glynn is a former Aussie rules player, and who is a fervent fan of the Adelaide Crows, has not won a tennis tournament in five months and has slipped to sixth in the world rankings.
The last time Hewitt played the rugged Aussie game was when he attended Adelaide private school Immanuel College, but he impressed with his skills during a charity football match in Adelaide last September.
'He really surprised me by saying that he would love to play Australian rules football and not necessarily love to be a tennis player for the next eight years,' said McEnroe.
'He said it like: 'No one has ever won two slams and played Australian rules football' ... I sensed it was something that intrigued him.
'I asked him if he wanted to be the Bo Jackson of Australia, Bo played baseball and American football, and he said: 'I wouldn't go that far'.' -- AFP
