Lleyton Hewitt is in no mood to retire soon – Tennis News
Former world number one, Lleyton Hewitt, has brushed aside the rumours that he would retire from professional tennis at the end of next season.
The Australian legend has said that he has come out of the injury concerns and is now fresh both mentally and physically. The 31-year-old also stated that he is already planning to play the 2014 Australian Open.
Hewitt was talking to the reporters during the promotional campaign of an ATP World Tour 250 event in Australia, AAMI Classic, in which he would participate to prepare for the 2013 Australian Open.
When the veteran was asked if his participation at next year’s Australian Open would be his last, he replied, "I seriously doubt it. I'd say I'll be back again. I'm playing all next year. I can't see myself getting to the Paris
indoors and not the Australian Open a month later. I've had some rough draws in the past. Hopefully I can ease myself back into the Australian Open. Brisbane, I'm playing at for the first time, and then coming here to Kooyong.”
Hewitt is a two time former Grand Slam champion but he has never won his home Major. His best performance at the Australian Open came in 2005, when he reached the final but lost to Russia’s Marat Safin. In the following year, he
was stunned by the then world number 51, Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina, in the second round.
Since then, Hewitt has not passed the last-16 stage tests at the Melbourne Park. The right-hander was defeated by Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer in the fourth round in 2008 and 2010 respectively. The Australian player was looking
good this year, stunning Andy Roddick and Milos Raonic, but once again eventual champion, Djokovic, came in his way at the same stage.
Hewitt went on to say that he had undergone a major foot injury but survived that, "I didn't know exactly how I was going to bounce back from the surgery. It was such a major surgery that no other athlete has had it and tried to
come back and play competitive sport again.”
The Australian number three is now ranked 82nd in the world and can enter the main draw directly.
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