A recovering Lleyton Hewitt should not be plotting to reclaim the world No.1 ranking because his body can’t cope, doubles legend Todd Woodbridge says. But he still believes 27-year-old Hewitt may yet have “one or two” grand slams left in him.
Hewitt has announced he will make his return from hip surgery at the January 11-17 Sydney International, leading into the Australian Open.
On his 10th year on the men’s tour, Hewitt’s world ranking has slipped to No.68 due to the debilitating injury that required surgery following the Beijing Olympics.
Hewitt won the 2001 US Open and 2002 Wimbledon titles and last made a grand slam final at the 2005 Australian Open.
Woodbridge said in Brisbane today Hewitt should target winning specific grand slam titles rather than launch an all-out assault when he returns.
“He will be asking himself the question – is he going to be able to get to the very top?” he said.
“I imagine his focus will be to win one or two more majors if he can.
“I don’t think his focus will be on being No.1 because I don’t think his body can cope with the intensity.
“So he is going to have to pinpoint (a tournament) and train (for that) and be very specific about what his goals are.”
Woodbridge – winner of an incredible 16 grand slam doubles titles in his 17-year career – said Hewitt would face “a lot of questions” when he returned from injury.
But Woodbridge said the highly competitive Hewitt would only feel the pressure from within.
“The guy is a fighter. Throughout my career if you wanted someone to go out and play for your life it was him,” said Woodbridge, who retired in 2005.
“He is in a different phase right now. It will be how physically he comes up after this operation – there are a lot of questions there.
“But there is no pressure on him. The only pressure will be placed on him by his expectations and what he wants to get out his career.”
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