LLEYTON Hewitt believes the FAST4 format was a massive plus in attracting 14-time grand slam champion Rafael Nadal to Sydney for a star-studded Australia v The World event in the lead-up to   January's Australian Open. 
Nadal will team up with Frenchman Gael Monfils and legend John McEnroe to take on Hewitt, Nick Kyrgios and Pat Cash. It will be the first time the Spanish great has played in Sydney since 2007.
"Rafa's attitude is second to none and not only is he a great competitor he's a great bloke off the court as well," Hewitt told The Daily Telegraph.
"He's a great role model for a lot of Australian kids in sport in general. He has that never- say-die attitude and the buzz he creates around the event is huge. The top players don't want to overdo it the week before the Open. Even after a hard night's tennis they will still have time to acclimatise and get ready for Melbourne. Their priority will be to start well at the Australian Open.
"To get Roger Federer last year and one of the all-time greats in Nadal as well, I feel very fortunate to be part of it." Hewitt launched the FAST4 concept this year when he took on the Swiss master in Sydney.
The format has been promoted as the tennis equivalent of Twenty20 cricket and made a successful start when tickets for the event sold out in less than 72 hours and 2.4 million Australian fans tuned in on TV.
"These one-off nights are fantastic for the sport," Hewitt said. "You know how long it will go, which makes it easier for families to come and watch.
"Tennis matches can go on for four, five or six hours sometimes. An allocated time also works well for television. In a normal tournament, most of my matches drag it out a bit."â-  Tickets on sale today at ticketek.com.au/Fast4Sydney