The start of the US Open Series is just days away with many anxiously awaiting to see what the sport’s top stars and crop of talented young guns of the ATP and WTA Tours can accomplish over the course of the Series.  While those players are deservedly going to be the focus of the headlines, there are also some secondary subplots worth a look.  One of them concerns the importance the coming weeks could hold for the singles careers of Lleyton Hewitt and Radek Stepanek.

While 2014 has hardly been coming up roses for the pair of them, both Hewitt and Stepanek have shown that they are also not washed up.  On the contrary, Hewitt actually started the year by winning the title in Brisbane over Roger Federer, and just last week he was crowned champion in Newport. 

Stepanek has not been fortunate enough to bag any titles this year, but he has been part of some very entertaining matches.  He came close to notching victories over Rafael Nadal and Federer earlier in the season, and he almost pushed Novak Djokovic to five sets in the second round of Wimbledon.  His outing against the Serb was hardly surprising considering that he defeated Andy Murray en route to the semifinals of the Wimbledon tune-up event at Queen’s Club.

Those who witnessed these 2014 highlights of Hewitt and Stepanek were treated to some compelling tennis.  Hewitt is still a diehard competitor, and although he has lost a step or two, he remains capable of making some of those amazing gets he was so famous for in his heyday.  He still owns one of the best lobs in the business, and he has shown an ever-increasing aptitude for moving into the forecourt to shorten the points. 

Finding his way to the forecourt has never been an issue for Stepanek.  The Czech remains a top-10 doubles player, and he has utilized his skills in that format to great effect in his singles play.  He has an old-school, unorthodox style that unsettles many players, and between that and his kooky on-court antics, he is a unique and enthralling competitor to watch.

Unfortunately, no matter how enthralling or how fierce of a competitor a player is, there comes a point where the daily grind becomes too much.  Hewitt and Stepanek may well be approaching that juncture.  At ages 33 and 35, respectively, their best days are well behind them.  Additionally, outside of those few bright spots, pickings have been slim in 2014.  They have lost early at almost every ATP-level event that they have entered, which is a particularly troubling trend for Hewitt, who has some points to defend after reaching the semifinals in Atlanta and fourth round of the US Open last year. 

Arguably the biggest battle that these two face, however, is the wear and tear on the body.  The coming weeks will provide a stern test in that area, for it is no secret that hard courts are grueling on the body.  Stepanek has already endured his share of injuries and subsequent absences, and the litany of surgeries suffered by Hewitt have left many in awe that he is still competing.  Lest there be any doubt that the Aussie has just about reached his limit, he made known at Wimbledon that he is essentially one injury away from retirement.  The summer hard courts could easily lead to that one more injury for Hewitt and are unlikely to be any kinder to the Czech.

But no matter how Hewitt and Stepanek perform over the course of the US Open Series and at the US Open, they are unlikely to call it a career before season’s end.  That said, if things should go poorly for Stepanek, do not be surprised if he starts to seriously think about going all doubles in 2015.  As for Hewitt, though nothing is set in stone, it is hard to imagine him hanging up his racquet anywhere outside the Australian Open.  If his ranking takes a hit as a result of a disappointing summer hard-court season, however, it would not be shocking in the least if he began to think more of taking that final bow next January. 

No matter what this summer brings to their careers, though, it does not change the fact that Hewitt and Stepanek still bring plenty of enjoyment to the table.  So appreciate them and their appetite for competition while they are still here, since the game will lose something when they are gone.