Cruz Hewitt set to make Australian Open qualifying debut against former Indian Wells runner-up

Cruz Hewitt, the 16-year-old son of former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt, is generating excitement as he prepares for his debut in the Australian Open qualifying draw. The young Australian received a wildcard for the event, entering as the lowest-ranked player in the draw at world No. 1263.

Hewitt faces a tough first-round matchup against former world No. 16 Nikoloz Basilashvili, currently ranked No. 206. While the Georgian player is far from his peak, he has proven his worth on the ATP Tour, boasting five titles (three of them ATP 500) and a runner-up finish at Indian Wells in 2021.

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Standing at 6 ft. 2 in. (1.88 m), Cruz Hewitt will need to showcase his skills on the court. He began his season at the Canberra Challenger, where he also received a wildcard for the qualifying draw but was defeated by American Brandon Holt, son of former world No. 1 Tracy Austin.

Recently, Cruz trained with world No. 1 Jannik Sinner at Melbourne Park and has previous experience practising with Australia's Davis Cup team. He is currently coached by Peter Luczak, who has also worked with world No. 8 Alex de Minaur.

A few months ago, Lleyton Hewitt shared his thoughts on his son's career progression: "One thing he’s never been shy of is playing on big courts or in front of people,” he said. “He takes it in his stride, it’s his journey, and it’s a very long journey.”

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Critics have occasionally suggested that Cruz benefits from preferential treatment due to his famous father, but the teenager has brushed off the comparisons. "It is what it is, but I don’t really mind,” he said. “It just drives me to be better.”

Cruz served as a sparring partner for the Australian team at the Davis Cup Finals and trained at the Rafa Nadal Academy last year. His qualifying debut is set for Tuesday, with matches played as best-of-three sets. If he advances, he could face Japan’s 22nd seed Shintaro Mochizuki in the second round.

Cruz Hewitt has the opportunity to become the youngest player to reach the Australian Open main draw since his father achieved the feat in 1997 at just 15 years old.

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