Lleyton Hewitt is aiming to play the entire 2014 season. Source: AFP NOT so long ago, thirty-something tennis players were regarded with a blend of suspicion and pity.
Invariably accused of clogging the system, the dinosaurs of the sport were systematically hunted down by the sport's young lions.
At his peak, Lleyton Hewitt was an apex predator, one of the fiercest and most ruthless practitioners of a frenzied kill the sport has seen.
Now 32, Hewitt has long been deposed as jungle king. Injuries and the emergence of Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal saw to that.
But, as evidenced by wins over Stan Wawrinka at Wimbledon and Juan Martin Del Potro at the US Open this year, Hewitt remains a highly efficient - and still feared - operator.
Unsurprisingly, Hewitt has no retirement plans as he as he prepares for an 18th Australian Open tilt in January,
"I don't know when I'll be stopping, but I'll be playing out the whole year regardless," Hewitt said of his 2014 schedule.
"I want to have another crack at Wimbledon for sure and I feel if I can get more matches under my belt going into Wimbledon that will hold me in a better stead."
With only two players senior than him in the top 50 - German Tommy Haas, 35, and Czech Radek Stepanek, 34 - Hewitt is part of an increasingly older man's sport, and no less ambitious because of age.
120626 Hewitt Source: AFP Time was when Hewitt, the youngest year-end No 1 in history when only 21, might have sneered at the old dogs.
Now, he is content simply to be one of them.
In Melbourne to launch the new Swisse low carb protein bar, Hewitt has been able to include daily runs in his training regimen for the first time in years, predicting he can become fitter still and regain some of his famed speed and mobility.
"Even now, I feel like I can go up that little more purely in terms of fitness because back years ago I used to do a lot of running and then I wasn't able to do that because of all the surgeries," he said.
"I just couldn't run on the treadmill or on the road because of my toe, I was in too much pain.
"Now, I've been running most days and feeling great because of it.
"The body's great, really good.
"The last few weeks I had a bit of a wrist issue, but it's settled down now.
"It flared up after Davis Cup time in Poland, but I've had it looked at and it's fine.
"The toe, the legs are all feeling great.
"I've been able to do a whole heap of fitness, so it's all good." 
Lleyton Hewitt has a bit of fun at the launch of the new Swisse Low Carb Protein Bar. Picture: Mark Stewart Source: News Limited
Hewitt finished 2013 ranked 62nd in the world, just 10 places lower than Australian No 1 Bernard Tomic.
Hewitt has a solid relationship with Tomic, offering the Queenslander advice and support.
Eventually, the pair could collaborate in a coach/player partnership in Davis Cup.
"I think his dad (banned coach John Tomic) is still going to pull the reins in terms of how Bernie plays and what he does," Hewitt said.
"He (John) obviously knows him (Bernie) better than anyone and Bernie listens to him more so than anyone anyway.
"I know Bernie more and more through Davis Cup but I haven't spoken to him about what he wants regarding a coaching structure.
"I wouldn't do that until I stopped playing anyway.
"Obviously I don't know what I want to do when I stop playing. At the moment it would probably Davis Cup and having a bigger role (captaincy).
"Now, it's more so helping out everyone, and (Nick) Kyrgios and (Thanasi) Kokkinakis make the transition to seniors."
Apart from an insatiable desire to compete at grand slams against the best, much in the mould of Jimmy Connors, Hewitt's over-riding crusade remains Davis Cup.
When, not if, he eventually pushes for the Australian captaincy, Hewitt is desperate for the nation to succeed in World Group company.
And he believes Tomic, Kyrgios and Kokkinakis can provide the foundations of an excellent team.
"I would really like us to stay up in the World Group and really stamp our position and start getting easier draws," Hewitt said.
"Nick has improved a lot in the last two years and he could be a good player.
"Nick's probably got bigger weapons than Kokkinakis but Kokkinakis has got a nice serve, good forehand, reads the play really well.
"Those two guys are probably on par. Kyrgios is a year older than Kokkinakis.
"It will be interesting the next year or so to see how they go." 
Lleyton Hewitt with his traditional “C’mon” after winning a point. Source: News Limited
It remains to be seen how long Hewitt remains active in green and gold.
Already the holder of almost every national record in Cup competition, Hewitt draws much satisfaction from 2013 which included a run to the Newport final and the Queen's Club semi-finals.
The season highlight was toppling world No 7 Del Potro in a night match on Arthur Ashe Stadium at the US Open, where he not beaten a top 10 player since Pete Sampras in the 2001 final.
"I hadn't played on that court for a couple of years and he's (Del Potro) a top quality player, ranked 5 or 6 in the world and very hard to beat on his day," Hewitt said.
"He's that next guy pushing for a top four spot and he's won a grand slam.
"For me to beat him in a slam, where he's won before and back on centre court, it was just a great feeling.
"It was a night match as well, went five sets and it was an unbelievable atmosphere.
"I couldn't have written it better that night and I guess you appreciate it more because two years ago I didn't know whether I'd have that opportunity again because of how bad my foot was.
"That was the sweetest moment, individually.
"Obviously Davis Cup, getting back into the world group, that was massive."
Hewitt will contest the AAMI Classic at Kooyong from January 8-11 in preparation for the January 13-26 Australian Open.
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