Imagine being a 17-year-old being dubbed the next face of an entire nation. A dream most young athletes think of, but never becomes a reality. Well, for Cruz Hewitt, this dream has become reality.
After winning his opening ATP Tour event in Washington, Hewitt’s expectations to reach stardom increased again. Carrying a surname full of legacy on his back, the young man has a lot to live up to.
Continuing His Father’s Legacy
Hewitt has grown up his whole life surrounded by tennis stars and influential figures. But none as special as his father. Lleyton Hewitt.
His father is a legend of sport in their home nation, Australia; a former ATP world number one, with two grand slam titles and another 28 ATP titles on his resume.
His father also spent 75 consecutive weeks as the world number one, cementing his name in the sport alongside other Australian legends such as Rod Laver, Margaret Court and Ken Rosewell.
Growing up in the Bahamas, Hewitt began learning his skills in the sport, with his father advising him and guiding him on his path. His father was not his only tennis influence; Hewitt admired current Australian number one, Alex ‘Demon’ De Minaur.
Another star he has grown up watching and being supported by is the current Australian number one, who is mentored and coached by Lleyton Hewitt, so they’ve watched each other’s careers begin to flourish.
Early Tennis Memories
Growing up in the Bahamas, Hewitt originally had a passion for football. But at the age of 12 decided to transition into tennis after enjoying a training session with a few friends.
In an interview with Tennis Australia, Hewitt talked about his father’s achievements and recalls watching him as he grew up. He said, “I remember watching his last Australian Open here. That was a cool experience. Him playing on Rod Laver Arena and me being there watching- and it was just a special experience that week.”
Di Minaur, current world number five, has also spoken on Hewitt and how he’s seen him grow over time. The Australian said, “I’ve seen Cruz grow up for the past 10 years. I’ve seen him become the man he is right now. I’ve hit with him countless times”
At the age of 13, Hewitt made his ITF junior debut after receiving a wildcard entry into qualifying in the 2022 Traralgon International tournament in his homeland. He was beaten in straight sets by the Dutchman Daniel Verbeek.
This was just the start of a journey in the young Aussie’s career.
The Junior Tour
Hewitt began entering ITF events after his wildcard at Traralgon; at the end of 2022, the then-13-year-old had a 62% win rate, with all his tournaments played on hard courts. More spectacularly, the Australian won his first junior title in Fiji at the ITF J5 Lautoka. By defeating fellow Australian Cristian Care, Hewitt became the youngest ever player to win an ITF title that year.
Going into 2023, Hewitt explored playing on different surfaces for the first time at an ITF level. He played two Clay events but had early exits in both tournaments. Hard court continued to deliver great results for the young man, collecting three more titles: two J60 events and a J30.
In 2024, the Australian was granted a wildcard entry into his first junior grand slam at the Australian Open. Despite suffering a first-round loss, it signified progression in his career.
He won another three titles at a higher level than the previous year. The three titles ranged from J100 to J200, adding to an illustrative junior career.
2025 brought more titles for the exciting talent, and it marked the first time he competed in all four junior slams. At Roland Garros, the Australian qualified for the slam through the qualifying rounds, marking another milestone in his career at 15 years old.
Results at the slams were proving difficult to come by (Grand Slam ITF tournaments have 1000 points available), as his game developed at such a young age; he was also an entry in qualifying for the ATP Men’s Australian Open draw. But suffered defeat to Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili, a former top 20 player.
In June 2026, Hewitt reached the Junior Wimbledon final, losing two sets to one to America’s Jordan Lee (6-4, 4-6, 5-7) in a match which could signify the end of his ITF junior career. Hewitt was announced as a wildcard for the ATP 500 tournament in Washington, DC.
The Venture into the ATP
Hewitt shocked the States in his ATP debut at the Mubadala DC Open. The 17-year-old beat America’s Marcos Giron in straight sets (6-3, 6-4), showcasing formidable talent across the court. He won over 80% of his points on first and second serves, posting excellent numbers in his first tour match.
The stars aligned for a dream match in round two. Hewitt faced off with De Minaur in a battle of the future and the present.
De Minaur beat his Australian compatriot in an encounter that neither player knew how to approach. De Minaur, in his press conference, told reporters he had seen the Hewitt family in the gym and spoken to the father and son.
De Minaur said, “I just told them that we didn’t expect to be playing each other this week, right? I thought that it was definitely going to come at some stage, but I didn’t expect it to happen so early.”
The number one Australian player added, “And I think all of us as a collective didn’t really know how to kind of act right because it’s the first time we’ve been in that position, and Lleyton’s been an incredible help over my whole career and I’m glad to see him be there with Cruz and I think he’s got a bright future ahead.”
Hewitt’s journey is just beginning and shall be one that not only Australian natives will follow closely but fans across the world as well. To see if the young man can reach his father’s heights.
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