Australian Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt has announced he will appeal his two-week suspension for shoving a doping control official, criticizing the process for lacking facts.
Idman.biz, citing Reuters, reports that the ban, effective from September 24 to October 7, bars Hewitt from all tennis-related activities, including coaching, mentoring, and captaincy.
The incident occurred last November after Australia’s semi-final loss to Italy, when Hewitt pushed a 60-year-old volunteer chaperone. He was also fined A$30,000 by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA). Hewitt, speaking ahead of Australia’s Davis Cup tie against Belgium, said he is disappointed by the decision but emphasized he will let his legal team handle the appeal and will not let it distract the team.
He confirmed John Peers, Aleksandar Vukic, and debutant Rinky Hijikata will feature, while Alexei Popyrin and Matt Ebden are unavailable due to injury. Hewitt highlighted Hijikata’s debut as “something really special,” taking place in his hometown of Sydney.
Idman.biz
