Lleyton Hewitt says he doesn't yet know what the future holds following his gutsy four-set loss to world number one Novak Djokovic.
Hewitt was the last Australian to bow out of the Australian Open, at the Round-of-16 stage, going down to top seed Djokovic 6-1 6-3 4-6 6-3 on Rod Laver Arena and despite his spirited run, which many believe may be his last at Melbourne Park, the 30-year-old said he had not focussed on anything other than the Melbourne tournament.
"Don't know yet," Hewitt said of his immediate future.
"Last few months, I've just really been focusing on trying to get as much out of myself as possible this Australian summer, more so here in Melbourne. But right at the moment, I don't know."
In typical fashion Hewitt rallied in true counter-punching style after dropping the first two sets. Trailing 1-3 in the third, Hewitt forced it to a fourth as the crowd that has come to expect such a reaction for over a decade, erupted.
"It was a great atmosphere. Towards the end of the third set and the whole fourth set, the crowd got involved in it. It's great."
"They're the moments you play tennis for, to be out there in those situations. So it's obviously disappointing anytime you lose. But I left it all on the court. That's all I could ask."
With his tournament over, Hewitt will now undertake media commitments at the Open but when asked if he had basked in the atmosphere a little longer, perhaps for the last time, an impatient looking Hewitt said: "No, I didn't take any extra time."
Hewitt feared being blown away in the opening two sets before he found his rhythm and the seemingly infallible Djokovic began missing the occasional shot.
"The first two sets, I went down an early break in the third, he was playing too well. He wasn't making any unforced errors and he was hitting the ball aggressively from the baseline. His depth was exceptional."
"I just tried to hang in there and press a little bit more, take my chances. I was able to turn that third set around and got a couple of errors out of him at a couple of crucial times to get the break late in the third set."
"It would have been nice to break to go 2-1 up in the fourth set because I started to have a bit more momentum going at that stage. And he went through a slightly flat period. But then he picked his game up again towards the end of the fourth set."
With Djokovic not dropping a single service game in his three matches prior, Hewitt's four breaks and third set triumph proved remarkable feats.
"It (taking the third set) was obviously satisfying because he was playing exceptional tennis. I was still able to find a way to get back in the match in some regards, at least put some pressure on him."
And despite handing Djokovic his first and only real test of the tournament to date, Hewitt had nothing but praise for the man to beat.
"His moving, his ball striking, his serving was fantastic for two-and-a-half sets."
"It's going to take a helluva performance for someone to beat him at the Australian Open."
"No one could really go with him here last year. Obviously the year he had was exceptional. He's hitting the ball awfully well so far."
Djokovic will now meet Spanish fifth seed David Ferrer, with the world number one standing in his way of a semi-final berth for the second consecutive year.