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Hewitt, 30, is planning to contest the claycourt grand slam at Roland Garros which starts on May 17 despite not playing for more than two months.
The two-time grand slam champion underwent foot surgery in March but the 66th-ranked Hewitt is once again prepared to play through the pain barrier.
“I think he’s used to that. Look, he’d be the toughest competitor that I’ve seen,” Roche told reporters.
“He’s had a lot of setbacks over the last couple of years but he keeps bouncing back.
“He keeps wanting to improve and he’s so keen, which is great for Australian tennis because we need him to hang in there.”
Last year, Hewitt was sidelined for almost four months following a second round of hip surgery and a knee operation before upstaging Roger Federer on grass in the Halle final and then almost beating Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon.
He reached the quarter-finals of the 2006 US Open despite a knee injury that threatened his participation.
“It’s his first tournament back from his operation. It’s a big ask, but he could do it if he got the right draw,” Hewitt said.
“Unfortunately, he’s not going to be seeded so you’ve got to rely on a good passage through that first week and not running into the top three or four guys.
“But Lleyton is still as keen as ever. He feels in the grand slams, given the right opportunity, that he can still be competitive with the top guys.”
