Lleyton Hewitt, the former top-ranked tennis player, marked his comeback to the sport after almost six years of retirement by partnering with his 16-year-old son, Cruz, in a remarkable victory. The father-son duo delivered a dominant performance, defeating Hayden Jones and Pavle Marinkov with a scoreline of 6-1, 6-0 in just under 48 minutes.
Receiving a wildcard entry into the main draw of the NSW Open tournament in Sydney, Hewitt and Cruz showcased their prowess on the court, successfully navigating through all four break points they encountered and swiftly advancing to the quarter-finals.
Having retired from singles competition in 2016 and from doubles at the 2020 Australian Open, Hewitt, a two-time Grand Slam winner, displayed no signs of rustiness during the match, exhibiting comfort and skill on the Ken Rosewall Arena, ultimately sealing the victory with a decisive net winner.
Post his retirement, Hewitt has remained actively engaged in tennis as the captain of Australia’s Davis Cup team, while also supporting his son, Cruz, who is establishing his own career in the sport. Cruz, a rising talent, has participated in junior Grand Slam events and is progressively making a mark in the Challenger circuit.
Despite encountering setbacks, such as an early exit in the men’s Australian Open qualifying rounds earlier this year, Cruz has been showing improvement at the Challenger level, notably securing his initial victory in Brisbane against world No. 192 James McCabe before falling to Wu Tung-lin in a hard-fought match.
With a current ranking peak at No. 759, Cruz recently claimed another singles victory in Brisbane before exiting in the subsequent round. He overcame fellow Australian Omar Jasika and then faced a defeat against Matsuoka Hayato in a closely contested match, before teaming up with his father for the doubles event and progressing to the quarter-finals.
Their next challenge will be against the Australian duo of Calum Puttergill and Dane Sweeny in the upcoming match. The father-son pair’s journey continues to captivate audiences with their shared passion for the sport and determination to succeed on the tennis court.