Former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt has marked a remarkable comeback to the tennis scene after an absence of nearly six years. This time, he partnered with his 16-year-old son, Cruz, in a dazzling display that resulted in a decisive victory. Facing off against Hayden Jones and Pavle Marinkov, the father-son duo dominated the match, triumphing with a convincing scoreline of 6-1, 6-0 in just under an hour.
Securing a wildcard entry into the main draw of the NSW Open, a Challenger event held in Sydney, Hewitt and his son seized the opportunity with style. Donning his signature backward cap, Hewitt, alongside Cruz, successfully fended off all four break points they encountered, swiftly advancing to the quarter-finals.
Hewitt, a renowned two-time Grand Slam champion, bid farewell to singles competition in 2016 but only formally retired from doubles at the 2020 Australian Open. However, any doubts about his form were dispelled during the recent match as the 44-year-old displayed a seamless performance at the Ken Rosewall Arena, sealing the win with a decisive net shot.
Since stepping away from professional play, Hewitt has remained active in the tennis realm as the captain of Australia’s Davis Cup team, regularly supporting his son, Cruz, who is forging his own path in the sport. Cruz, a promising talent, has participated in junior Grand Slam events and is gradually leaving his mark on the Challenger circuit.
Despite facing setbacks on the court, including an early exit in this year’s men’s Australian Open qualifiers, Cruz has shown progress at the Challenger level in recent competitions. Notably, he achieved his maiden Challenger-level victory in Brisbane by defeating world No. 192 James McCabe before succumbing to Wu Tung-lin in a hard-fought match.
With a current career-high ranking of No. 759, Cruz Hewitt continues to demonstrate his potential, recently overcoming compatriot Omar Jasika before narrowly losing to Matsuoka Hayato. Following his singles run in Brisbane, Cruz teamed up with his father to secure a spot in the doubles quarter-finals, where they are scheduled to face an all-Australian duo, Calum Puttergill and Dane Sweeny, in their upcoming clash.