Matt Ebden believes he is only getting better with age — and he can’t wait to show his home crowd just how well he is going at 31.

The West Australian rose to a career-high ATP ranking in 2018 and is confident he hasn’t reached his ceiling as he prepares to strut his stuff alongside Ashleigh Barty at the Hopman Cup.

It is Ebden’s first appearance at his home tournament since he was forced to pull out in 2015 because of a calf injury after he was called up as a replacement for Nick Kyrgios.

“I know not to get too worried or too excited about things,” Ebden said. “It’s easy to do, playing in front of thousands of people in your home town. I’m going to stay nice and calm.”

At the start of 2017, Ebden was ranked 699 in the world, but his best two years since catapulted him to as high as 39 in October before he finished the 2018 season at 46.

Ebden is pleased but not satisfied. “I think I’ve got a long way to go,” he said. “I’ve got a lot still to improve and work on, so right after here I’ll be back on the practice court and in the gym chipping away at all that.

“I’m loving the process of it all, especially here at home, it’s special. I’ve been able to get my highest, strongest numbers in the gym strength-wise and power-wise so of course I’ll be trying to translate that on the court.”

Ebden faces Frenchman Lucas Pouille on the opening night at RAC Arena before a showdown with dogged Spanish veteran David Ferrer.

He will also take on Germany’s world No.4 Alexander Zverev, who he has practised with regularly in Perth over the past few summers.

“It’s no secret that the results I’ve had and shown, it’s possible we can win all our matches but it’s also possible we can lose them,” Ebden said.

“I think it’s going to be one of the strongest Hopman Cups ever.”