15-year-old
Cruz Hewitt, son of former world No. 1
Lleyton Hewitt, made his Grand Slam junior
debut at the 2024
Australian Open, on
the very court where his father played his maiden main draw match at the same
age. Despite entering the competition with a wild card, the young tennis player
faced a formidable challenge in the form of the 6th seed, Alexander Razeghi,
ultimately succumbing to a 6-2, 6-3 defeat.
Under the
watchful eye of his two-times Grand Slam champion father, Cruz Hewitt sported
his cap backward, embodying the same fighting spirit as his dad, refusing to
concede any points easily. Currently ranked No. 201 in the ITF junior rankings,
the young Australian has two more years of eligibility to compete in the junior
tournament based on his age.
Cruz Hewitt
will have another opportunity to showcase his skills in the tournament as he
pairs up with his partner Lachlan McFadzean in the doubles draw. Their debut
match will see them facing the same opponent, Razeghi, and Hayden Jones in the
first round. It's a continuation of the Hewitt legacy, and tennis enthusiasts
are eagerly anticipating the young prodigy's journey in the sport.
Lleyton
Hewitt in the Australian Open
The former
world No. 1 competed in the tournament on 20 occasions between 1997 and 2016,
amassing a record of 32 wins and 20 losses. Hewitt's standout performance came
in 2005 when he reached the final but fell to the Russian former world No. 1,
Marat Safin, in a closely contested match that concluded 6-1, 3-6, 4-6, 4-6.
Additionally, the Australian reached the fourth round in Melbourne on six other
occasions.
The
42-year-old former tennis star still holds the record for the youngest
qualifier at the Australian Open, achieving this milestone at the age of 15
years and 11 months in 1997. During that edition, Hewitt received a wild card
and secured three consecutive victories to advance to the main draw, only to
face a first-round defeat against the Spanish former world No. 3, Sergi
Bruguera.