LLEYTON Hewitt was, for more than a decade, baring the pressure from a whole nation on his shoulders.

Now with the rise of Sam Stosur, Hewitt can now take some heart and enjoy his tennis. And doesn’t he look like he’s doing that right now? He recently defeated Roger Federer for the first time in 15 meetings at an ATP tournament in Halle, Germany. And he’s now through to the second round of Wimbledon after defeating Maximo Gonzalez.

Whether he makes it through to the finals or not, Hewitt looks a different man on the court; a more positive and productive one. Although the pressure is off from an Australian point of view, he bares a different type of pressure from his new venture – family life with wife Bec and their growing family. But it’s an enjoyable pressure to have on your shoulders when you’re making thousands of dollars for every swing of the racquet out on the court.

Who was once an exciting and exhilliarating tennis player to watch on the court has now become a veteran in the Australian ranks. Many believe his best has passed him.
He was once the hunter out on the court – then he was the hunted – now he is the player who relies on his tennis smarts to get him across the line. Those smarts still give him the right to be Australia’s No.1 male tennis star. But the Aussies are gathering a bit of depth on the tennis scene for perhaps the first time in a long while. Peter Luczak is a spirited player – similarly to Hewitt- relies heavily on his experience and smarts as a player.

Then you have the rising challenger, Bernard Tomic, who will be a star but may take a little while to shine. It’s important that Hewitt remains a tennis ace in the transition period.
 
Tell us what you think. Does Lleyton Hewitt still have the strength and stamina to win a grand slam?