Big drives? Bring them on

Not everyone likes Lleyton Hewitt. The former Wimbledon champion has been accused of being too confrontational on the court, too loud, too pugnacious, too chippy and, well, too Australian.

Certainly the style of the man nicknamed Rocky on account of his habit of watching the Sylvester Stallone film to prepare himself for big games, is the polar opposite of the blazered brigade at the All England Lawn Tennis Club. Still, there is no doubting his determination to regain the title he last won five years ago.

“This is my favourite time of the year,” says Hewitt, currently 19th in the ATP rankings, though 16th for Wimbledon. “When I started out I didn’t know what to make of the place but I learnt to love it. There’s not too many stadiums you get goose bumps about when you come out to play, but it’s definitely one of them.”

Whether he will be able to regain the crown will depend very much on the form of the top two seeds Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. But he is hoping that with Andy Murray struggling with injury and his friend and occasional doubles partner Tim Henman heading rapidly towards retirement he might get a strong boost from the Wimbledon crowd. “British crowds have always been good to me. I think they respect a fighter.”

There is a rumour, however, that Hewitt may not be quite the fighter he once was, that since his marriage to Bec Cartwright, an Australian actress, and the birth of daughter Mia, he has mellowed. Can the crowds (and officials) expect a more laid-back Hewitt on court next week? “Nah, I doubt it,” is his frank reply. “I’m a very competitive guy and I love a one-on-one scrap. I think it’s my AFL background. I just get pumped up.”

The AFL background he refers to is Australian Football League – Aussie rules – the aggressive mix of rugby and football beloved down under. Hewitt appeared destined to follow his father, uncle and grandfather into the game until his tennis prowess shone through in a flurry of junior titles. With an understanding school and sporty parents he was destined for the top from his early teens. His burgeoning ability soon brought him local fame and nice perks.

“I was driving around the city in a red BMW convertible in my teens after a local dealer sorted me out,” he laughs.

Adelaide is a motoring city and it has clearly left its mark on Hewitt. Its popular street circuit still hosts supercar and touring car events but in the mid-Nineties it was the home of the Australian Grand Prix. A wide-eyed young Hewitt witnessed the final races: “My dad took me down when I was a kid and we watched the cars roar round the streets together. There was real disappointment in the city when we lost the event to Melbourne but it was down to money. I’ve met Michael Schumacher and a few other grand prix drivers and they all say that Adelaide was one of their favourite circuits.”

Hewitt is a still a big fan of Formula One and has struck up a friendship with fellow Aussie Mark Webber. “He came to see me play at Queen’s a few years back and we hit it off straight away,” says Hewitt. “I was playing in Barcelona the following year just before the Spanish Grand Prix, so I stuck around to watch him race. I took the opportunity to sit in his car when it was in the garage and I was amazed how claustrophobic it was. Sadly, they wouldn’t let me take it out, but I couldn’t blame them.”

However, Hewitt may yet get his chance to drive a racing car. “Mark’s offering to take me round Silverstone in one of those two-seater F1 cars but I think I might wait till my career’s over before I let him do that. I’ll stick to having the odd knock-up with him for now.”

Hewitt’s career earnings, estimated to be around £8m, have allowed him to buy his share of boys’ toys, not least a black Ferrari 360 Spider he bought in 2004. “I decided to treat myself,” he explains. “I’d wanted a Ferrari since I was a kid. As soon as you turn the engine on you can feel it just wants to go. I love getting it on the open road and giving it a bit of a crack, but there aren’t too many places in Australia where you’re allowed. When I have some downtime I’m going to put it on a track and give it a real go.”

He may have to wait a while, as his young family has spelt the Ferrari’s semi-retirement.

“If I’m not on tour then I’m with my family. It’s hardly practical for them so I’ve bought a Porsche Cayenne for us to drive around in. That’s no slouch, believe me.”

And neither, one suspects, will he be this week when, with the strains of the Rocky theme ringing in his ears, he walks out onto the manicured Wimbledon lawns.

On his CD changer

I love a singer-songwriter called Jimmy Barnes who used to be in a band called Cold Chisel. His songs get me fired up.Shannon Noll is a similar kind of guy. He was in Australian Idol but he’s real good; he writes good lyrics

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