"I knew I was going to play him on the Tour some day, but I didn’t actually expect it to be this week": Alex de Minaur found facing Cruz Hewitt 'weird' after mentor-protege role

Friday, 31 July 2026 at 10:46

De Minaur struggles to reach the ball and hit it from the forehand side.

Alex de Minaur managed to take down Cruz Hewitt to reach the Quarter-Finals of the Washington Open on Thursday but he admits he found the whole situation a bit 'weird' given that they have had a mentor protege relationship and De Minaur has seen Hewitt grow up.

Of course Hewitt has often faced limelight of sorts with his dad being the all conquering Aussie force that like De Minaur now held the candle for Aussie tennis, but with his son rising he was a part of De Minaur's life as Cruz grew up.

He won through 6-2, 6-3 and now faces off against Brandon Nakashima in the Quarter-Finals, a tie that no doubt will be less weird than this one.

“I’ve spent a lot of time with Cruz, and I think he’s always been a great kid. He’s loved tennis - and I can’t say this enough - the way he’s handling the spotlight, the pressure, the expectations of being who he is, (is great),” de Minaur said.

“Even after a week like this one, right? There’s going to be even more pressure and expectation, but I think the whole world should let him develop at his own pace.”

Many battles in the years to come

He said on court himself that while he expected to face Hewitt someday, he didn't think it would be this week and that they will have many battles in the years to come in his view.

“It was definitely weird. I knew I was going to play him on the Tour some day, but I didn’t actually expect it to be this week,” De Minaur said in his on-court interview.

“It was an amazing feeling. Even all the lead up, seeing all the incredible pictures that we have together and how we’ve both grown up. I’m glad I managed to get through, but I’m sure we’re going to have many battles in the years to come.”

A special first meeting 🇦🇺🤗

All class from @alexdeminaur as he embraces Cruz Hewitt after clinching his spot in the DC quarterfinals.#MubadalaDCOpen pic.twitter.com/HJYwpXiYhF
— Mubadala DC Open (@mubadaladcopen) July 30, 2026

“The lead-up, seeing all the photos, all the memories, thinking of all the time we spent together,” de Minaur said. "I couldn’t help but ultimately be excited for it, right? I think that definitely helped me.”

De Minaur added that there was a bit of an awkwardness as a result in that he had spent years not only seeing Cruz rise but also of course watching his father play and also his involvement in the Davis Cup and United Cup. So it was very much full circle.

“I think all of us as a collective were kind of, like, didn’t really know how to kind of act, right? Because it’s the first time we’ve been in that position,” he said.

While Cruz Hewitt reflected positively on the experience, he said that De Minaur is like a brother to him and that he has looked up to De Minaur almost his entire life so it was more of a special occasion than anything else.

“That was a very special match, special moment I think for both of us. I’ve looked up to him my whole life pretty much, seen him play so many times, practised together,” Hewitt said.

“He’s like my brother, so it was special to share the court.”

Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief

Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.

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