ATP Tour

Agassi on why Federer & Hewitt were so tough to face...

Andre Agassi may have finished his running for the night, but he was still in full analyst mode after sharing the court with fellow ATP No. 1 Club Members Roger Federer and Lleyton Hewitt at the Australian Open on Saturday evening.

Following an entertaining exhibition doubles clash alongside Federer, Hewitt and Patrick Rafter, Agassi spoke with Jim Courier about what made Hewitt and Federer so difficult to face during their time at the top of the game.

“Every No. 1 player in the world brings something so unique to the game,” Agassi said, nodding toward Hewitt. “I watched Lleyton do it. He turned a transition game phenomenally. He turned defence into offense. We saw fast players that stayed on defence.”

Agassi and Hewitt split their Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry at 4–4, with all eight meetings coming on hard courts. The American, however, trailed Federer 3–8, and his tone shifted noticeably when reflecting on the Swiss great.

“Then all of a sudden you play this guy Roger Federer and it was like time stood still,” Agassi said. “You hit the ball and it leaves your racquet exactly how you want it, yet he has all the time in the world. You couldn’t commit because he could change pace or direction. He could move you north and south, east and west. I knew I was facing the efforts of the next generation.”

Federer went on to spend a record 310 weeks as the No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, including 237 consecutively. Hewitt held top spot for 80 weeks, last occupying the position in June 2003, while Agassi spent 101 weeks as the World’s No. 1, briefly reclaiming the spot from Hewitt during that era.