Photo by Graham Denholm/Getty Images

Lleyton Hewitt explains why he always struggled to play Roger Federer at the Australian Open

Originally posted on HITC | By Liam McMillen | Last updated Jan 17, 2026 1:30 PM ET

Lleyton Hewitt and Roger Federer’s rivalry at the top of the ATP Tour was one of the defining narratives of tennis in the 2000s.

Federer and Hewitt met 27 times between 1999 and 2014, with Federer leading the head-to-head with 16 victories.

The Swiss star became a real thorn in Hewitt’s back, with Federer knocking the star out of eight straight Grand Slams.

Hewitt never managed to defeat Federer at a Grand Slam, and he failed in two attempts to beat him on home soil at the Australian Open.

Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

Lleyton Hewitt reflects on ‘tough’ rivalry with Roger Federer

Federer and Hewitt met twice at the Australian Open, in 2004 and 2010, but the Australian only ever managed to win a single set.

Both matches took place in the round of 16 in Melbourne, as Federer broke Australian tennis fans’ hearts by knocking out their best hope of a home Grand Slam victory.

Reflecting on his rivalry with Federer at the 2026 Australian Open, Hewitt said: “Roger was so tough to beat out here, especially in night conditions. It suited his game perfectly.

“But the biggest thing for me, after he won that first Wimbledon, it really opened it up for him, I think he learned how his game style was going to be as well.

“He gave me some pretty bad beatings there for quite a while. I was able to have the numbers the first six or seven times we played, and then I lost count, it was a lot!

“He had a completely game style to pretty much everyone on tour at that time. The way he was able to change pace, use the short slice backhand, his accuracy on serve, especially on big points was second to none.”

Hewitt notched up seven wins in his first nine matches with Federer in the early 2000s, but then the Swiss star started to reverse their head-to-head record.

Lleyton Hewitt got the last laugh in Roger Federer rivalry

Hewitt might have tasted defeat 16 times to Federer, but he did beat the 20-time Grand Slam winner in their last-ever meeting.

The pair met on Hewitt’s home soil at the Brisbane International in 2014, and the home favourite stunned Federer to lift the trophy.

Hewitt needed three sets to defeat his great rival, but he managed a shock 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 win in front of a delighted crowd.

It was surprisingly his first-ever victory in Brisbane and he also became the first Aussie to lift the trophy since the tournament’s inception in 2009.

Hewitt managed to defeat Federer in their last two finals meetings, having also beaten the star in the final of the Halle Open in 2010.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: