Lleyton Hewitt — a tremendous advocate for hard work, commitment and dedication to pour it all on the line as a player, representing his country with the utmost pride.
Very few can count themselves on the same pedestal when it comes to bleeding green and gold for Australia. Hewitt embodies the true essence of the much-talked-about Aussie spirit.
Hewitt once said, "I'm not a guy who needs to read motivation books". He gets it.
Having won two Davis Cup titles as a player, 2025 marks 10 years since Hewitt started his role as Australia's Davis Cup captain.
In that time, the former world No.1 has guided his nation to back-to-back finals in 2022 and 2023, as some will argue he has punched well above his weight.
Although that may be the case, it's well within reason to ask the question — has Hewitt reached his ceiling and is Australia in need of new ideas and a fresh face?
It comes after Hewitt's latest decision in early January to include Nick Kyrgios in Australia's Davis Cup squad for their qualifier against Sweden despite having made his first appearance in 18 months at the Brisbane International against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
Kyrgios' recent injury history speaks for itself. The 29-year-old underwent wrist surgery, uncertain whether he could ever pick up a racquet again.
Albeit he has fought back from adversity in commendable fashion, his selection raised eyebrows as to why he was selected ahead of six other Aussies who feature in the top-100.
All that drama, only for Kyrgios to be replaced in the squad by Aleksandar Vukic anyway. It never quite made sense.
Is it as simple as suggesting Hewitt leans towards favouritism over form and fitness?
Earlier this week, The First Serve exclusively revealed that Thanasi Kokkinakis has travelled with the squad for Australia's upcoming tie in Stockholm.
But that is another bizarre decision, considering the world No.72 admitted he has "serious decisions to make" about his body.
"There's a [shoulder] tear, for sure. I'm playing with a crazy amount of scar tissue in there. It's something that every time I show a physio or a doctor, they're taken back by it," he said after his loss to Jack Draper at the Australian Open.
Yes, Kokkinakis has warranted a call-up given his Davis Cup record (8-8) for Australia and the countless times he has performed when it matters most. Hewitt deeply trusts him, and he has every right.
But in saying that, would it have hurt to expose a fresh face into the mix and offer them an invaluable experience? Especially after news broke that Elias Ymer, Sweden's No.1 ranked singles player, has withdrawn.
Amongst all the positive vibes and seamless relationship between Hewitt and Tennis Australia, once upon a time, it wasn't all smooth sailing.
During Bernard Tomic's explosive tirade after his first-round loss at the 2019 Australian Open, he referenced Hewitt and Tennis Australia's sudden rekindled relationship.
"He used to hate Tennis Australia, it’s weird. Now he loves them. What’s happened here?" Tomic told stunned reporters.
"They're all under Lleyton's wing under the management company. It's all conflict of interest."
In response, Hewitt laughed off Tomic's claims.
"I actually had a bit of a laugh. It's Bernie being Bernie and losing and going on and complaining about a few things," Hewitt told the Nine Network.
"I laugh it off and go forward. I am working with a few guys and I am excited."
The Australian Tennis Hall of Famer denied any tension between himself and the group, adding, "I don't think that there is a rift. There is always communication going on with captain, coach and players, and leading into the next tie that will all happen."
Tomic, as controversial and outspoken as he is, still needs to have his views respected and taken seriously at face value.
Perhaps Australian tennis fans brushed Tomic's claims aside, but they may have thought twice about doing so after hearing Destanee Aiava's bombshell comments after her United Cup campaign a few weeks ago.
The 24-year-old was called up to the Australian squad as the No.2 singles player behind Olivia Gadecki, describing the culture within the camp as "pretty poor" and "hostile".
"I understand that we’re in a competitive environment, but I thought being in a team, playing a team event, it would feel a bit different," Aiava said in her YouTube vlog.
"It’s not team-based at all, we pretty much just do whatever we want by ourselves. Then, when everyone has to play, that’s when we all come together as a 'team'.
"There’s been, at most, two people that I’ve actually properly conversed with on the team, maybe three."
As experienced as Hewitt is in these types of team environments, the responsibility is on him to galvanise the squad and create an enjoyable experience.
The United Cup can be a confusing format, as demonstrated by the mathematical equations used to determine Australia's place in the group, but we also discovered that, in Australia's case, Alex de Minaur made the final decisions when it came to who would play, not Hewitt, as stated by commentator and former world No.1 doubles player Todd Woodbridge during the Channel 9 coverage.
That explains why de Minaur opted to play in a do-or-die mixed doubles decider alongside Gadecki against Great Britain. However, in doing so, it was bewildering to see experienced doubles duo Matthew Ebden and Ellen Perez sit on the bench.
Perez revealed that she was "kept in the dark" and wasn't provided with any reasoning as to why she was left out.
"We were told the night before that there’s potential that they may mix up the teams. There was no mention of who might be changed in… and there was no specific mention that we [Ebden and I] wouldn’t be playing," said Perez, who is ranked No.13 in the live WTA doubles rankings.
"All four of us were warming up except Demon because he came off the court… and it was when Demon came off the court that they made the final decision so it was kind of kept in the dark."
As an influential leader in the group with his standing in the game, for that to occur under his watch isn't a great look.
There are players who undoubtedly respect him, with de Minaur certainly being one of them.
"Lleyton's been a huge help," he said. "He's been someone I have looked up to as well, as I'm sure a whole generation of Aussies [have done].
"Just to have him as my Davis Cup [captain], mentoring me, helping me out whenever, coming out to these matches, is just a special feeling."
If Hewitt were to move on, then the question would drift to who would be the best candidate for the role.
Pat Rafter and Wally Masur are two valuable options. However, the pair have already immersed themselves in that particular role. Again, is a new face required?
The worrying part of it all is, aside from experiencing utter catastrophe in the early rounds of Davis Cup qualifying, Tennis Australia will be reluctant to pull Hewitt aside. Instead, the decision to stay or leave as Australian captain seems like, from the outside looking in, will rest in his hands.
Although he has earned that status, it doesn't necessarily mean it's the healthiest thing for Australian tennis.
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