History says it's now or never for Lleyton Hewitt as he enters his ninth US Open on Tuesday striving for a grand slam feat unmatched in more than 30 years.
It has now been five years and two months since Hewitt won the second of his two slams at Wimbledon in 2002, after landing his first in New York eight months earlier.
In four decades of professional tennis, only Arthur Ashe - the legendary American whom the centre court at Flushing Meadows is named after - has waited longer between slam victories.
Ashe won Wimbledon in July 1975 after snaring the 1970 Australian Open crown five years and six months earlier.
A defiant and in-form Hewitt today insisted his hunger for grand slam glory remains as strong as ever.
At 26 and finally back to peak physical condition after a frustrating run with injury, Hewitt believes he is among only a handful of players capable of denying Swiss superstar Roger Federer a fourth straight Open trophy.
"Absolutely," Australia's 16th seed said.
"I'd love nothing more than to win another slam. There's not that many guys, I think, that are capable of winning them, to tell you the truth.
"There's outside guys that are capable of making semis, finals, making a bit of a run. But obviously Federer in three out of the four (slams each year) has been the standout, and Rafa (Nadal) has been the standout in the other one.
"Obviously I put myself up there when I'm playing my best, just behind those guys."
And invariably, Hewitt is at his best on American hardcourts, as the former world No.1 proved at the Toronto and Cincinnati Masters Series events this month when only the great Federer could stop him - the second time in a three-set thriller lasting more than two-and-a-half hours.
Little wonder Hewitt is excited to be back at Flushing Meadows, where he boasts a record to envy.
Along with Federer and 2003 champion Andy Roddick, he is the only other former Open winner competing this year, while no other player in the entire 128-strong men's draw - not even Federer - can match Hewitt's 38 victories from 45 matches at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre.
The South Australian's only defeats since falling to Andrei Medvedev on debut in 1999 have come at the hands of Federer, Roddick, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi and Juan Carlos Ferrero - all one-time or long-time world No.1s.
"I've always felt pretty comfortable here," Hewitt said.
"Obviously this is a special place for me, where I first won it. I always look forward to coming back and playing here."
Apart from the fast, high-bouncing hardcourts - where his speed and Jimmy Connors-like ability to take the ball on the rise can conspire to run his rivals ragged - Hewitt thrives in the electric atmosphere generated inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.
"It's the biggest stadium we get to play in front of and I enjoy playing in big atmospheres," he said.
"The atmosphere here in New York ... it's my personality as well probably - it's probably a bit louder crowd here in terms of people yelling out occasionally during points. If you're playing Americans, it gets pretty loud.
"I look forward to the big matches, so this is one of the best centre courts to play tennis in."
For a No.16 seed, Hewitt has a dream draw and many are tipping him to make another run to the final against Federer.
But Hewitt's only focus today was on his first-round opponent, big-serving American Amer Delic.
Hewitt will meet the world No.71 on Tuesday (Wednesday morning AEST) or Wednesday and said he wasn't sure whether it was a necessarily a good thing Federer was on the other side of the draw.
"If I'm going to win the tournament, you're probably going to have to play him sometime anyway, whether it's the round of 16 or final," Hewitt said.
"The final would be nice (but) sometimes he plays his best tennis in the finals, too."
