Editing Lleyton Hewitt (section)

===2015: Farewell year===

Hewitt began his [[2015 ATP World Tour|2015 season]] as the defending champion of the Brisbane International. In the first round he was defeated in straight sets by fellow Australian [[Sam Groth]] in 58 minutes. As a result, he dropped from rank No. 50 to No. 84 and lost his position of No. 1 Australian which he had held for many consecutive months.<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-06/groth-completes-hewitt-demolition-at-brisbane-international/6003510 Brisbane International: Sam Groth completes demolition of Lleyton Hewitt in all-Australian clash] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150107204018/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-06/groth-completes-hewitt-demolition-at-brisbane-international/6003510 |date=7 January 2015 }} [[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]]. Retrieved 6 January 2015.</ref> Hewitt played the first [[Fast4 Tennis|Fast4]] short-form tennis exhibition match against Roger Federer but lost in five sets.<ref>[http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/tennis/roger-federer-and-lleyton-hewitt-put-on-a-show-with-fast4-tennis-exhibition-in-sydney/story-fnii0pkt-1227182701122 Roger Federer and Lleyton Hewitt put on a show with Fast4 tennis exhibition in Sydney] ''[[The Courier-Mail]]''. Retrieved 23 January 2015.</ref>

Hewitt then played his 19th consecutive [[2015 Australian Open – Men's singles|Australian Open]] appearance which is the fourth longest streak at any Grand Slam.<ref>[http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8948824 No Open swan song for Lleyton Hewitt] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150120122528/http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8948824 |date=20 January 2015 }} [[Nine MSN]]. Retrieved 20 January 2015.</ref> In the first round he beat wild card [[Zhang Ze]] in 4 sets. He then lost in five sets to his second round opponent [[Benjamin Becker]] despite winning the first two sets.

At a media conference, Hewitt mentioned plans to retire after the 2016 Australian Open to become the captain of the Australian Davis Cup team after Pat Rafter moved on from the position, becoming the seventh man to captain the team.<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-29/hewitt-to-retire-after-2016-australian-open/6055726 Lleyton Hewitt to retire from tennis after 2016 Australian Open, Pat Rafter stands down as Davis Cup captain] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150202165041/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-29/hewitt-to-retire-after-2016-australian-open/6055726 |date=2 February 2015 }} [[ABC (Australian TV channel)|ABC]]. Retrieved 7 February 2015.</ref> "I had thought long and hard and I plan to play the Australian Open next year and then finish", he said. "At the moment, [the Davis Cup] is the main focus for us and then I will be looking towards the grass court season and finishing here in Melbourne, which would be special to play 20 Australian Opens". It will be Australia's first time in the world group of the Davis Cup in six years. Rafter and John Newcombe are the only other two Australian men to have been ranked No. 1 since ranks were established in 1973.<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-29/lleyton-hewitt-to-end-career-with-20th-australian-open-campaign/6055870 Lleyton Hewitt to end career with 20th Australian Open campaign in 2016] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150130005317/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-29/lleyton-hewitt-to-end-career-with-20th-australian-open-campaign/6055870 |date=30 January 2015 }} ABC. Retrieved 7 February 2015.</ref>

Hewitt then played the [[2015 Miami Open|Miami Open]] and lost in the first round to [[Thomaz Bellucci]] in three sets. He was then awarded a wildcard to the [[2015 U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships]] where he also lost in the first round to [[Go Soeda]].

Hewitt skipped the remainder of the clay court season including the [[2015 French Open]], instead opting to focus on the grass season and Wimbledon. He began his grass court season at the [[2015 Topshelf Open]] where he lost to [[Nicolas Mahut]] in the first round. He also was awarded a wildcard into the [[2015 Topshelf Open – Men's doubles|men's doubles]] where he partnered compatriot [[Matt Reid (tennis)|Matt Reid]].

At [[2015 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|Wimbledon]], Hewitt was awarded a wildcard and was defeated by [[Jarkko Nieminen]] 
11-9 in the fifth set in the first round of his eighteenth and final appearance at the tournament.<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-06-30/lleyton-hewitt-wimbledon-farewell-ends-in-defeat/6582370 Wimbledon: Lleyton Hewitt bids final farewell to All England Club after five-set loss to Jarkko Nieminen] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150630195047/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-06-30/lleyton-hewitt-wimbledon-farewell-ends-in-defeat/6582370 |date=30 June 2015 }}. ABC. Retrieved 1 July 2015.</ref> It became his 44th five-set match of his grand slam career. Despite three straight breaks in the fifth set, Hewitt on serve faced and saved three match points at 4–5, and held serve each time until the 20th game of the fifth set.<ref>[http://www.theroar.com.au/2015/06/29/lleyton-hewitt-vs-jarkko-nieminen-2015-wimbledon-live-scores-blog/ (VIDEO) Lleyton Hewitt vs Jarkko Nieminen: 2015 Wimbledon scores, blog] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150801194200/http://www.theroar.com.au/2015/06/29/lleyton-hewitt-vs-jarkko-nieminen-2015-wimbledon-live-scores-blog/ |date=1 August 2015 }}. www.theroar.com.au. Retrieved 1 July 2015.</ref> Afterwards both the crowd and Nieminen himself gave Hewitt a standing ovation. Partnering compatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis, the wild card duo reached the third round of the Wimbledon men's doubles with two five-set matches, including defeating the 15th seed, but they lost to the 4th seed. Hewitt played in the mixed doubles with compatriot Casey Dellacqua on a wild card and lost in the second round, seemingly ending his Wimbledon career.<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-07/lleyton-hewitt-wimbledon-career-officially-ends-in-doubles/6600354 Wimbledon: Lleyton Hewitt's final All England Club campaign ends with dual doubles defeats] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150708040249/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-07/lleyton-hewitt-wimbledon-career-officially-ends-in-doubles/6600354 |date=8 July 2015 }} ABC. Retrieved 7 July 2015.</ref>

Hewitt partnered Sam Groth to win Australia's Davis Cup quarterfinals doubles rubber against Kazakhstan in Darwin on 18 July. With their spectacular performance, Groth and Hewitt were selected to play the last two reverse-singles rubbers, replacing Kyrgios and Kokkinakis respectively. After Groth's win, Hewitt won the deciding fifth rubber against Nedovyesov to put Australia at 3–2 to reach the semi-finals. It was Australia's first win from 0–2 down since 1939.<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-19/lleyton-hewitt-guides-australia-to-davis-cup-quarter-final-win/6631494 Lleyton Hewitt guides Australia to Davis Cup quarter-final win over Kazakhstan in Darwin] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150721191405/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-19/lleyton-hewitt-guides-australia-to-davis-cup-quarter-final-win/6631494 |date=21 July 2015 }} ABC. Retrieved 19 July 2015.</ref>

Hewitt, on a wild card, defeated compatriot John-Patrick Smith at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C. in August.<ref>[https://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/lleyton-hewitt-wins-at-washington-open-20150805-gis7e8.html Lleyton Hewitt wins at Washington Open] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190210085645/https://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/lleyton-hewitt-wins-at-washington-open-20150805-gis7e8.html |date=10 February 2019 }} ''The Sydney Morning Herald''. Retrieved 6 August 2015.</ref> He lost in the second round of the [[2015 US Open – Men's singles|US Open]] to Tomic in five sets despite having two match points. Hewitt, partnered with Sam Groth, lost a tough Davis Cup semi-final doubles tie against the British Murray brothers in 5 sets. Todd Woodbridge hailed it as the "Best [doubles] I've watched for years."<ref>[https://twitter.com/toddwoodbridge/status/645273918484287489 Proud of @lleytonhewitt @SamGrothTennis valiant effort Congrats to @andy_murray @jamie_murray best doubs I've watched for years @DavisCup] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305132617/https://twitter.com/toddwoodbridge/status/645273918484287489 |date=5 March 2016 }} Twitter/toddwoodbridge. Retrieved 20 September 2015.</ref>