The Australian Open wild cards have been announced. Eight wild cards have been announced with many not being surprises. Lleyton Hewitt leads the way in his last ever Grand Slam event which is rightly in his home Slam.

Aussies With Five Of Eight Wild Cards

The other notable Australians to receive wild cards were James Duckworth, Matthew Ebden, and Jordan Thompson. Duckworth earned his wild card by winning the Australian Open Wild Card Playoff. Teenager Omar Jasika also received a wild card from Tennis Australia which makes it five of eight wild cards going to the Aussies.

The Other Wild Cards

Three other wild cards were granted from the other large tennis federations either via playoff or just receiving it from their respective federations. The FFT or Federation of French Tennis gave teenager Quentin Halys their respective wild card. Yoshihito Nishioka won the Asia/Pacific wild card while American Noah Rubin won the wild card from the USTA Australian Open Wild Card Challenge after fellow teen sensation Taylor Fritz lost in the Champaign Challenger final in November.

The Last Hurrah

At the age of 34, Lleyton Hewitt chose the perfect place to end his career, right at home. While a Hollywood ending would see him lift the title, nothing would fit the script more for Hewitt like winning a grueling five-setter with the lights shining down on him and his opponent on Rod Laver Arena.

Hewitt is a two-time major champion but has never won the Australian Open. The closest he has ever come to winning the Grand Slam of Asia/Pacific was in 2005. That year, Hewitt was a finalist but lost to an inspired Marat Safin in the final. Safin defeated Roger Federer in a memorable five set semifinal to earn his right in the final. Despite winning the opening set, Hewitt was defeated in four.

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About the author
Noel John Alberto
Filipino-American sports journalist from Toms River, NJ. UMBC Graduate and aspiring physical therapist. Tennis editor and multi-sport coordinator for VAVEL USA. Writer for Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Serie A sections of VAVEL UK. Sports aficionado. Host of the On The Line tennis podcast.