Two retirements, one breakthrough: Cruz Hewitt reaches first ATP main draw in Washington

Cruz Hewitt has reached another major milestone in his young career. The 17-year-old Australian secured his place in the main draw of the ATP 500 DC Open after benefiting from a second consecutive retirement during qualifying, earning his first-ever appearance at an ATP Tour event.

The son of former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt entered the tournament with a wildcard after his impressive run to the Wimbledon boys’ singles final earlier this month. Now ranked No. 612 in the live ATP rankings, Cruz will have the opportunity to test himself against established tour-level opponents for the first time in his career.

Hewitt’s path through qualifying was unusual but still represents a significant achievement. After defeating Dusan Lajovic by retirement in the opening round — leading 5-2 in the first set when the Serbian veteran was forced to stop due to injury — the Australian faced an even tougher challenge against Zachary Svajda, the No. 1 seed in qualifying and world No. 73.

Svajda appeared to be in complete control after taking the first set 6-1 and building a 5-3 lead in the second, but Hewitt refused to give up and forced a deciding set by winning the second-set tiebreak. The American was unable to continue physically and retired while trailing 2-0 in the final set, allowing Hewitt to complete his breakthrough and step into his first ATP main draw. The teenager will now look to build on the momentum from his Wimbledon junior run and gain valuable experience against the world’s best players in Washington.

The match appeared to be slipping away from Hewitt early, with Svajda dominating the opening stages and building a 6-1, 5-3 lead. However, the Australian teenager showed his fighting qualities, forcing a second-set tiebreak and taking advantage of the momentum shift to level the match.

The deciding set barely had time to develop before Svajda’s physical problems became decisive. After Hewitt moved ahead 2-0, the American was unable to continue and retired, sending the 17-year-old into his first ATP main draw.

The result means Hewitt becomes one of the youngest players to achieve such a milestone and continues a promising 2026 season that has already included historic moments. Just weeks ago, he became the first Australian since Luke Saville in 2011 to reach the Wimbledon boys’ singles final, defeating several seeded players along the way before falling to American Jordan Lee in a dramatic three-set battle.

Interestingly, Lee also received a wildcard into Washington qualifying but was eliminated in the opening round by Moez Echargui, meaning Hewitt is the only Wimbledon junior finalist still alive in the ATP 500 event.

The Australian’s breakthrough also has immediate ranking implications. Hewitt currently sits around No. 612 in the live rankings, but a victory in the Washington main draw could push him close to the top 400 and mark his first entry into the ATP top 500.

While his qualifying run included two retirements, Hewitt has already shown the competitive mentality and level required to challenge more experienced opponents. His next match will represent another important step in his development as he begins his first ATP Tour chapter under the watchful eyes of his father, who followed his qualifying matches from the stands in Washington.