Lleyton Hewitt comes out of retirement for 2018 Australian Open

Former World No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt will come out of retirement to partner with Sam Groth at the 2018 Australian Open. Hewitt, one of Australia's greatest-ever players, played his final singles match at the 2016 Australian Open when he lost in straight sets to David Ferrer in the second round.

Despite his retirement from singles competition, Hewitt has been a regular fixture for Australia in the Davis Cup. In 2016, he replaced the injured Nick Kyrgios in the first round against the USA. At the same event, he teamed up with John Peers and nearly beat the Bryan brothers in an epic five-setter.

Hewitt, 36, is evidently excited about coming out of retirement. “It’s going to be a bit of fun - that’s what the Australian Open is about. I’m going to really enjoy it. We’ve (Groth & I) been hitting a lot of balls, hitting every day, and we’re not just going out there making up the numbers. We want to give it a fair crack," Hewitt said, via The Herald Sun.

Groth, with hopes of competing in the singles competition, will likely earn a discretionary singles wildcard to enter the first Grand Slam of the year at Melbourne Park. But the 30-year-old is excited to team up with Hewitt.

“It’s something Lleyton and I have talked about and it’s perfect for me. I was there when ‘Rusty’ retired in 2016 and it’s great that he’ll be there with me when I bow out. He’s not just someone I know through tennis, he’s a great mate," said Groth, who reached a career-high singles ranking of World No. 53 in Aug. 2015.

The 2018 Australian Open will be staged at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne Park between Jan. 15-28. A number of top-flight stars could potentially miss the first Grand Slam of the year due to injuries. While former World No. 1 Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Stan Wawrinka, Rafael Nadal and Milos Raonic are trying to work their way back from injuries, the women's draw could also be missing the likes of Serena Williams, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Victoria Azarenka.