Cruz Hewitt continues Lleyton’s Wimbledon legacy with impressive junior run

Thursday, 09 July 2026 at 02:30

Nearly 25 years after Lleyton Hewitt lifted the Wimbledon trophy, his son Cruz is creating his own memories at the All England Club. The 17-year-old Australian has become the country’s final remaining singles hope at Wimbledon 2026, reaching the boys’ singles quarter-finals with an impressive run on the grass courts.

Cruz continued his breakthrough campaign by defeating second seed Jamie Mackenzie 6-3, 6-4 in the third round. The victory made him the first Australian player to reach the boys’ Wimbledon quarter-finals since Alex de Minaur achieved the feat in 2016, when he eventually went on to reach the final.

The teenager entered SW19 as an unseeded player but has quickly attracted attention with his performances and his famous surname. Currently ranked No. 606 in the ATP rankings, Hewitt is continuing his transition towards professional tennis while benefiting from the experience and guidance of his father.

Lleyton Hewitt, Wimbledon champion in 2002, has been present throughout his son’s run. Cruz explained that having his father nearby has been an important source of support as he attempts to build his own path at one of tennis’ most historic venues.

“He helps me a lot”: Cruz Hewitt credits father Lleyton during Wimbledon run

Cruz revealed that his father’s presence has played an important role throughout the tournament. With Lleyton competing in the Wimbledon invitational doubles event alongside Fabio Fognini, the former world No. 1 has still found time to support his son’s junior campaign.

The teenager explained that they have warmed up together every day at the All England Club, allowing him to receive advice and encouragement from one of Australia’s greatest tennis players.

“I've warmed up with him every day, so he helps me a lot," the 17-year-old said from Wimbledon according to Canberra Times. "Obviously, having him on the sidelines has helped, just to support me being there. I'm grateful for him in my corner.”

Former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt and son Cruz Hewitt at the 2024 Newcombe Medal ceremony.

Despite the attention surrounding his family name, Cruz has remained focused on the process. The Australian said he is approaching the tournament one match at a time rather than thinking too far ahead. “Every tournament, you come in and you hope to win it, but I'm just here taking it one match at a time.”

Hewitt added that he has enjoyed each match so far and hopes to continue the same approach in the quarter-finals as he looks to extend his Wimbledon run. “So far, three matches and I've enjoyed playing every one. So next match, I'll try and do the same and then we'll see how it goes.”

Cruz Hewitt embraces Wimbledon spotlight before quarter-final challenge

The Australian has also enjoyed the atmosphere surrounding his Wimbledon campaign. While his surname naturally creates attention around the All England Club, Cruz said he has appreciated the support from Australian fans and believes the crowd energy helps him perform at his best.

“The Australian people in the crowd have just been really good. I got a few 'Aussie, Aussie, Aussies!' today, and that definitely helps, gets my energy up. I perform better in those type of situations on the court.”

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Cruz’s run has already represented an important step in his development as he continues working towards professional tennis. His movement and playing style have drawn comparisons with his father, although the teenager has remained focused on creating his own identity rather than following Lleyton’s exact path.

The Australian will now face Bulgarian ninth seed Dimitar Kisimov in the quarter-finals. The 18-year-old owns a career-high ITF junior ranking of No. 9 and won the Australian Open boys’ doubles title earlier this season, although he has yet to make his ATP debut.

Regardless of how far he goes, Hewitt has joined a long list of players who used Wimbledon’s junior tournament as a first major step before becoming established names on the professional tour. Past boys’ singles champions include figures such as Grigor Dimitrov, Gaël Monfils and Jack Draper, along with other future stars who began their Wimbledon journeys in the junior draw. Cruz Hewitt now hopes to add his name to that historic pathway.

Wimbledon Boys’ Singles Champions & Finalists (2000–2025)

Year	Champion	Runner-up	Final score
2000	Nicolas Mahut	Mario Ančić	3-6, 6-3, 7-5
2001	Roman Valent	Gilles Müller	3-6, 6-4, 6-4
2002	Todd Reid	Lamine Ouahab	7-6, 6-3
2003	Florin Mergea	Chris Guccione	6-2, 7-6
2004	Gaël Monfils	Viktor Troicki	6-0, 6-3
2005	Jeremy Chardy	Robin Haase	6-4, 6-3
2006	Thiemo de Bakker	Marcin Gawron	6-2, 7-6
2007	Donald Young	Uladzimir Ignatik	7-5, 6-1
2008	Grigor Dimitrov	Henri Kontinen	7-6, 6-4
2009	Andrey Kuznetsov	Jordan Cox	4-6, 6-4, 6-2
2010	Márton Fucsovics	Benjamin Mitchell	6-4, 6-4
2011	Luke Saville	Liam Broady	2-6, 6-4, 6-2
2012	Filip Peliwo	Luke Saville	7-5, 6-4
2013	Gianluigi Quinzi	Hyeon Chung	7-5, 7-6
2014	Noah Rubin	Stefan Kozlov	6-4, 4-6, 6-3
2015	Reilly Opelka	Mikael Ymer	7-6, 6-4
2016	Denis Shapovalov	Alex de Minaur	4-6, 6-1, 6-3
2017	Alejandro Davidovich Fokina	Axel Geller	7-6, 6-3
2018	Jack Draper	Zizou Bergs	1-6, 7-6, 6-3
2019	Shintaro Mochizuki	Carlos Gimeno Valero	6-3, 6-2
2020	Not held (COVID-19)	—	—
2021	Samir Banerjee	Victor Lilov	7-5, 6-3
2022	Gilles Bailly	Viktor Frydrych	6-4, 6-3
2023	Henry Searle	Yaroslav Demin	6-4, 6-4
2024	Nicolai Budkov Kjær	Mees Röttgering	6-3, 6-3
2025	Ivan Ivanov	Ronit Karki	6-2, 6-3

Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist

Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.

His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.

In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.

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