Lleyton Hewitt's son making progress towards emulating his father, wins first junior ITF title at age 13
ATPTuesday, 08 November 2022 at 22:33
By winning his first ITF juniors title, 13-year-old Cruz Hewitt, son of Australian tennis great Lleyton Hewitt, is beginning to create his own waves in the sport.
Cruz was a charming toddler who used to wow the audience in Melbourne Park every summer with his shockingly bright blonde curls a few years ago, but now, the son of the Australian Legend is growing up fast.
Cruz Hewitt defeated 17-year-old Cristian Care, the tournament's top seed, in the final 2-6 7-5 3-0 to claim his first International Tennis Federation (ITF) J5 tournament title in Lautoka, Fiji after Care retired in the decider.
Lleyton Hewitt qualified for the Australian Open at the age of 15 years and 11 months, becoming the youngest player to do so. The two-time Grand Slam champion and former World No. 1 thinks that additional competitive tournaments would expose many up-and-coming athletes, saying so when in attendance at the event in Fiji.
“I think it is important to try and get the best possible facilities in order to give the kids and locals the best opportunity they can have,” he said.
Cruz has previously triumphed at Canberra's Australian 12-and-under Clay Court Championship. He won five matches without dropping a set, and he and Asher Brownrigg also took home the doubles crown.
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
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mandoist08-09-2026 - Don't lay this shitshow on "Americans". It is a long-running Ego trip with WTA allowing these two Elitists 'in need of a Camera' illicit Wildcards. If these two clowns want to "perform" -- then play the qualies.mandoist08-09-2026
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