Former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt marked his return to professional tennis after nearly six years of retirement with a remarkable win alongside his 16-year-old son, Cruz. The father-son duo triumphed over Hayden Jones and Pavle Marinkov in a swift 6-1, 6-0 victory that lasted just under an hour.
Securing a wildcard entry into the main draw of the NSW Open, a Challenger event in Sydney, the pair delivered an impressive performance. Hewitt, recognizable with his signature backward cap, and Cruz managed to save all four break points they encountered, swiftly advancing to the quarter-finals.
Hewitt, a two-time Grand Slam champion, had his last singles match in 2016 but continued his doubles career until the 2020 Australian Open. In their recent match on Wednesday, the 44-year-old displayed no signs of rustiness, exhibiting a comfortable and confident playstyle on the Ken Rosewall Arena, sealing the victory with a decisive net winner.
Following his retirement, Hewitt has stayed active in tennis as the captain of Australia’s Davis Cup team and has been actively supporting his son, Cruz, who is making a name for himself in the sport. Cruz, a promising young player, has participated in junior Grand Slam events and is progressively establishing his presence in the Challenger circuit.
Despite facing some setbacks, including a loss in the men’s Australian Open qualifier earlier this year, Cruz has been showing progress at the Challenger level in recent competitions. Notably, he achieved his first Challenger level win in Brisbane against James McCabe before facing a defeat against Wu Tung-lin in a competitive three-set match.
With a current career-high ranking of No. 759, Cruz recently secured another victory in Brisbane before exiting in the second round. He then teamed up with his father for the doubles event, advancing to the quarter-finals.
Their next challenge awaits as they are scheduled to compete against another Australian duo, Calum Puttergill and Dane Sweeny, in the upcoming match.
Sky has introduced a discounted Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, providing members with savings of £192 and access to over 1,400 live matches across various leagues including the Premier League and EFL. The broadcasting network is set to showcase a minimum of 215 live Premier League games next season, a significant increase from the previous season.