Lleyton Hewitt has insisted that he will not be treating the Australian Open any differently as he prepares for his 19th consecutive appearance in Melbourne.
The former world number one remains a favourite of Australian supporters in the latter stages of his career, but he is keen to not allow thoughts of a potential final goodbye to have a negative impact on his performance.
"I'm trying to do absolutely everything in my power to get over the line and get the win. I think once those thoughts of enter your mind, yeah, it can probably distract you and be a little bit of a negative influence when you're trying to perform at your best out there," Hewitt told reporters.
"So, I'm that big a competitor, I think once I hit the match court out there, my focus will basically be on the one-on-one aspect out."
Hewitt, who reached the final of the tournament in 2005, will meet Zhang Ze in the first round on Tuesday.
Callum Mulvihill
