NEW YORK - Lleyton Hewitt has left Flushing Meadows without the US Open trophy and bewildered about a scathing personal attack on him and his entourage.
A New York Times story headlined "The only thing worse than c'mon! is incessant yes" - which also made its way into several major newspapers in Australia last week - said Hewitt was "self-absorbed" and surrounded by "yes men".
The article, written by Selena Roberts, also compared Australia's former world No 1 unfavourably to Swiss top dog Roger Federer, and incensed Team Hewitt.
"The meaning of a number depends on who is No 1," the story began.
"As an ex-No 1, Lleyton Hewitt pulled off a rarity for him as he scurried around Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday without offending a linesman with a slur, infuriating his opponent with an obscene gesture, or irritating the crowd with his excessive 'C'mons'.
"He didn't have enough time. It took only 94 minutes for Hewitt to dispense of Dominik Hrbaty in the fourth round of the US Open. Hewitt saved his tasteless remarks for later, when he poked at the holes cut into the shoulder blades of Hrbaty's shirt.
"Hewitt is unvarnished, irascible and impolitic. In other words, he hasn't changed a bit since he was the No 1 player in 2001 and 2002, when he created a trail of charged feuds with players and legal disputes with the ATP. He is as self-absorbed as ever.
"The difference in depth between Hewitt and Federer, and the divergence in their approach to No 1, is certainly two-parts personality but at least one-part entourage.
"Hewitt is surrounded by a bevy of yes men and sycophantic handlers, while Federer has chosen an agent-less existence, grounded by a girlfriend/manager who will tell the emperor off."
Hewitt's manager, Robert Aivatoglou, said Team Hewitt had been stunned by the criticism.
"Lleyton's disappointed. He doesn't understand where the motivation for this type of article comes from," Aivatoglou said.
Hewitt's behaviour in past years polarised fans at Flushing Meadows.
Many admired his fighting spirit but just as many others could not relate to his often bullish ways.
He put himself offside with locals in 2001 when he was accused of making a racial slur in a five-set win over Afro-American James Blake.
But other than being fined US$1000 ($1428) for an audible obscenity during his second-round win over Jose Acasuso, Hewitt's on-court demeanour could not be faulted at this year's US Open.
He actually appeared strangely subdued in several matches.
- AAP
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