Bec Hewitt: I'm happier than ever!

He may have bowed out of the Australian Open, but Lleyton Hewitt and his family are still grinning.

The Hewitt family’s recent visit home has seen former Home And Away star Bec Hewitt fall back in love with the man she married more than seven years ago, telling friends she and Lleyton have never been happier and Australia is a big part of the reason why.

After a year of disappointments on the tennis circuit and stress, compounded by a fire at their home in the Bahamas while their three children slept inside, 2013 couldn’t have begun on a sweeter note according to a close friend of Bec, 29, and Lleyton, 31. “They are super happy right now, having bounced back from a low point in 2012,” the insider confirms exclusively to Woman’s Day.

“It was because of the fire [Bec, her mother and children Mia, 7, Cruz, 4, and Ava, 2, were lucky to escape alive], plus Lleyton being away from home a lot, and his moodiness when cooped up in hotels with Bec and the kids when they did accompany him on tour. And Bec has been miserable living in the Bahamas.” But it all magically changed as soon as they hit Australia, as it always does, says the friend.

“Bec can relax here because she has equal status with Lleyton and can do her own thing. She doesn’t have to be cooped up in the house for safety all the time as she is in the Bahamas, which drives her nuts. “Bec’s favourite thing in the world is watching her kids with their cousins at birthday parties and parks and hanging out at each other’s houses. It reminds her of her own childhood. “Also, all three of her kids adore the excitement of the tennis scene in Australia and their dad being recognised. They like being around that buzz here, so that’s beautiful for Bec to watch.”