There is a bit of an expectation in the tennis world when it comes to Lleyton Hewitt nowadays, an expectation that comes true so often that it is sad. The expectation is that Hewitt will compete well against players much better than him, especially at majors, only to lose in increasingly heartbreaking fashions.

This has happened so often in recent years that it feels impossible to list them all. Whether it was against Mikhail Youzhny at last year’s US Open, Robin Soderling at 2011 Wimbledon, or even Novak Djokovic at the 2012 Olympics, Hewitt hasn’t been able to finish off what could have been great wins.

And it’s not a lack of mental toughness. Hewitt has won 29 tournaments, including two Grand Slams. He was world No. 1 for 80 weeks. Hewitt knows what it’s like to win and not let up. But his body has aged far faster than his mind. When the Aussie gets fatigued, one knows that he can’t stick around in a match for very long, even against players far less talented than him. His footwork gets sloppy, and his shots are much less precise.

So when Hewitt faced Roger Federer in the Brisbane final, everyone knew that Hewitt could compete. They also knew that, if Hewitt got tired, his chances of winning were minimal. Federer played an awful first set while seemingly hampered by a tight back, and Hewitt took full advantage. Lleyton took the first set 6-1 and looked the stronger of the two men early in the second set. Then, though, Federer’s game picked up as Hewitt visibly fell off towards the end of the second set. When Federer broke Hewitt and then served out the set, it looked like Roger would run away with the third set and the title.

But Hewitt surprised everyone by coming up huge against break points in the third set. He took full advantage of attacking second serves in Federer’s second service game of the set, and he managed to pull off what turned out to be the deciding break. Against all odds, through all injuries, Hewitt pulled out his second consecutive victory over Federer in a final (2010 Halle).

So what does this mean for Hewitt going forward in 2014? For starters, it means that he is at his highest ranking since 2010. With relatively few points to defend until June, Hewitt can put himself in position to be seeded at the French Open and even Wimbledon this year. This could help him avoid some of the early meetings against top players that he has drawn in recent years.

More importantly, though, it tells us that Hewitt might be adjusting to playing while tired. Nobody ever questioned his heart. We know that Hewitt will continue playing until his body can’t do it anymore. He lays everything on the table every single time that he steps on court. Formerly, though, Hewitt could not play at a high level while fatigued, which is exactly what he managed to do on Sunday night in Brisbane.

The aging Aussie was tired, and his game was off, but he managed to do just enough to hold off one of the game’s great champions in Roger Federer. This means that maybe, just maybe, Hewitt may be able to turn some of those heartbreaking losses into heart-stopping wins moving forward.