This week, the ATP crew has been all about patriotic pride. The Davis Cup round two qualifiers kicked off with plenty of drama. Team Australia gave it their all but couldn’t get past the tough Belgian squad. But the heat wasn’t only on the players. Team captain Lleyton Hewitt faced extra pressure from the ITIA before the tournament even began.

If you missed it, on September 10, the ITIA handed Hewitt a two-week suspension and an AU$30,000 fine. The tribunal found him guilty under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme. The case goes back to November 2024 in Malaga. Hewitt allegedly shoved a 60-year-old chaperone after Australia’s Davis Cup semifinal loss to Italy. He was charged with “offensive conduct towards a doping control official.” But now, Hewitt is making a bold claim.

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