He's up there. But (Marat) Safin, on his game, is as hard to beat... by Lleyton Hewitt

He's up there. But (Marat) Safin, on his game, is as hard to beat.

Lleyton Hewitt

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That's when you've got to grit your teeth and hang in there and try and find a way to win when you're not playing your best tennis - that's what I can be proud of

tennis winning trying

I am two different people. What you see on the court is just natural for me. I wear my heart on my sleeve. I have always said 'C'mon' purely to fire myself up. Off the court, I am a lot shyer. I stick to my team and my family and people I trust.

team fire heart

Even when I was No. 1 in the world, I was taking it one match at a time. I never was a player to look too far ahead, the way draws can pan out.

player looks way

I'm fortunate: I can play as long as I want to play. There's no coach or trainer who is going to say to me that I'm dropped or sacked, it's time to move on. I can play as long as I want to play.

play long moving

Matches are won and lost so many times in the locker room. by Lleyton Hewitt

Matches are won and lost so many times in the locker room.

lockers lost rooms

When I go out to play, I still believe I'm as good as anyone out there. I don't have to prove anyone wrong. I know what I've done and how well I can play.

done play believe

I was lucky enough to win the Davis Cup in my first year in 1999. I won my first slam at the U.S. Open in 2001 and became world No. 1 later that year. By the age of 20, I'd done it all.

age winning years

When I was a kid in Adelaide, I dreamed of becoming No. 1 in the world, winning a grand slam and the Davis Cup for Australia.

australia winning kids

Everyone has to call 'time' at some stage. by Lleyton Hewitt

Everyone has to call 'time' at some stage.

stage

Oh, I get pretty fired up on the court. I try to play with a lot of emotion, especially when I'm playing in front of a large crowd. I want to go out and do my best, and to do that, I have to play with the most energy possible.

energy play trying

I'm not a guy who needs to read motivation books. by Lleyton Hewitt

I'm not a guy who needs to read motivation books.

motivation guy book

That's what you do all the hard work for, to play in situations that put your body through gruelling times. If you're not up to it, pull out.

tennis hard-work play

I'm one injury away from hanging up the racket at any time. by Lleyton Hewitt

I'm one injury away from hanging up the racket at any time.

racket injury

I don't know. Haven't I always been mature? by Lleyton Hewitt

I don't know. Haven't I always been mature?

mature havens knows

I was actually really happy with where my game was at. That's probably the most disappointing aspect.

disappointing aspect games

I have sometimes played my best Davis Cup matches away from home when you stay in the moment a bit more. But it is tough when half the crowd are spitting on you.

cups half home

I liked Pat Cash, and I loved Mats Wilander. I went to the Australian Open with my parents, and I used to watch Wilander being cheered on by the Swedish fans, and with his game style being like mine, I drew comparisons with him.

style parent games

There are people who love you and people who hate you, but for me, more so, people only think they know me by how I act or perform on a tennis court.

hate love-you thinking

I'm more in that Rafa Nadal high-energy high-octane mold out there. I wear that emotion on the court. That's how I play my best tennis. People either like that or not. And I can't change that: that's who I am on a tennis court.

who-i-am play people

My video game character is a bit better looking than me, actually. I don't think he has to worry about his hair getting messed up.

hair character thinking