Revitalised Hewitt has 2010 top-five ambitions

Retirement is a dirty word for Lleyton Hewitt as the rejuvenated former world No.1 enters the new year once again with grand slam intentions.

Hewitt can't wait to launch his summer campaign on Saturday at the Hopman Cup in Perth after reviving his career this year under former junior doubles partner Nathan Healey. After parting ways with champion coach Tony Roche, Hewitt slashed his ranking from 108th in February to a year-ending No.22 with Healey full-time in his courtside box. The pair has lofty ambitions for Hewitt's 13th full season on the ATP Tour.

''I'd love to get back into the top five as soon as possible,'' Hewitt said on his website. ''Obviously the four majors for us is the priority.

''The Australian Open and Wimbledon are probably not only mine but also Nathan's favourite two tournaments, so it'd be great to do well at those two tournaments and have a shot at those. The Australian summer is obviously the main priority, trying to get ready for the Hopman Cup and then obviously Sydney leading into the Australian Open in Melbourne. That's where we want to get the damage done.''

Now based in the Bahamas, Hewitt has spent the past five weeks in Sydney training hard with Healey and conditioner Nathan Martin and said he was enjoying the new coaching arrangement after two years with Roche.

''Nathan and I spent a lot of time together growing up and we know each other's games extremely well and he obviously knows the way I play as well as anyone around the world,'' the former US Open and Wimbledon champion said.

''Nathan has a young family, wife Marnie and a young daughter Anna, who gets on extremely well with my two kids Mia and Cruz, so we've got a lot of things in common and we really like to spend a lot of quality time together on and off the tennis court.'' Like fellow 28-year-old Roger Federer, Hewitt is a young veteran these days but has no plans of retiring any time soon after making an impressive comeback this year from career-saving hip surgery in 2008.

''He's got another two or three years on tour and I would like to think that by the middle of the year he'd be knocking on the door of the top 10,'' Hewitt's manager David Drysdale said.

''He's got renewed enthusiasm, which is fantastic. He's really fit and his body's feeling good … he's most definitely not thinking of retirement.''

- AAP