Ex-Wimbledon Champion Disqualified for Shoving Anti-Doping Volunteer.

According to The Sun: The former Wimbledon champion was fined and banned from participating in competitions due to an incident involving a 60-year-old volunteer, whom he pushed.

For this behavior, he received a fine of £14,600.

Lleyton Hewitt, captain of the Australian Davis Cup team, received a two-week ban following the shove of an anti-doping service volunteer.

Incident

The incident occurred on November 23, 2024, after his team lost to Italy in the semifinals. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) charged Hewitt on January 6, stating that he violated section 7.15.1.1 of the anti-doping program by engaging in abusive behavior towards a doping control officer.

Hewitt denied the accusations, claiming he acted in self-defense. However, ITIA provided video footage, eyewitness testimony, and interview results that corroborated the allegations. An independent tribunal reviewed the case in the summer and upheld the charges.

"Hewitt's actions do not meet the criteria for self-defense," noted the tribunal chair Michael Heron.

Sanctions

According to the ruling, Hewitt will be unable to participate in any tennis events during the two-week ban, which lasts from September 24 to October 7. This includes playing, coaching, and fulfilling captain duties.

These dates are chosen to avoid disrupting Hewitt's schedule in the Davis Cup and to allow for the possibility of an appeal, although none has occurred yet.

Future Plans

Australia will face Belgium in qualifying at home this weekend. The team, which has been a finalist for two consecutive years, includes players such as world number 8 Alex de Minaur and number 40 Alexey Popyrin.

The Davis Cup final will be held in Bologna in November, featuring the current champions and seven other qualified countries.

Hewitt was part of the last Australian team that won the Davis Cup in 2003, which marked the country’s 28th victory, trailing only the USA.

The former world number one won his first Grand Slam at the US Open in 2001 and earned over £15 million throughout his career before retiring from singles tennis in 2016.

His son Cruz, 16, is also trying to make a career in tennis, playing in all four junior Grand Slams this year and received a wildcard for qualifying at the Australian Open.