Bec and Lleyton hit rock bottom

Things go from bad to worse for Australia’s fairytale couple.

Former golden couple Lleyton and Bec Hewitt are in the grip of a personal and professional crisis such as they’ve never seen before. Lleyton’s tennis career has been all but destroyed, and the pair are also fighting a bitter court battle over Lleyton’s fortune and suffering major financial losses, with experts warning they are in for their biggest challenge to date.

With so many difficult days ahead, those close to them are concerned that so much stress will be too much for the one-time fairytale couple to handle.

Lleyton’s on-court problems, which have included slipping down the world rankings and serious injury, hit crisis point recently when Tennis Australia refused to send players — including Lleyton — to Chennai in India for the Davis Cup, amid fears of election-related violence. As well as imposing a hefty fine for the boycott, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) is considering a one-year ban on Australia, which means Lleyton — our most successful Davis Cup singles player — might never again serve a ball for his country in what is his favourite competition.

Forced to defend his decision not to risk his life for his career, Lleyton blogged, “As a tennis player I am passionate and committed to representing Australia in the Davis Cup. There is no higher honour than to be awarded a gold jacket and join the list of champions who have played for our great country. But as a husband and father I have responsibilities to my family. It was a no-win situation.”