Cruz Hewitt, the 17-year-old son of former world number one Lleyton Hewitt, earned his first ATP Tour victory in his main-draw debut at the Mubadala DC Open in Washington on Tuesday.
The Australian qualifier defeated American Marcos Giron 6-3 6-4 in 74 minutes to reach the second round. His father, a two-time Grand Slam champion, won the same tournament in 2004 — one of his 30 career titles.
"It's a pretty special moment," Hewitt said in his on-court interview. "Seeing my dad play this tournament and to get my first tour win, it feels really cool."
The teenager marked the milestone by replicating his father's trademark celebration — the right-arm bicep curl — a gesture he says he has grown up watching.
"He just always did it and when I was little I've just always seen it," Hewitt explained. "It's cool to be able to do that now because obviously my dad has been a huge part of where I am today."
Hewitt said seeing his father's name on the champions' board in Washington during qualifying served as inspiration. "It's very surreal," he said. "Kind of inspirational to look up at it as well."
The Australian teenager's rapid rise has drawn attention throughout the tennis world. Born in 2008, he received wild cards into ATP qualifying events earlier this year and made his Grand Slam qualifying debut at the French Open in 2025.
Hewitt's Washington run carries a remarkable parallel with his father's career: Lleyton Hewitt also won his first ATP match at the age of 17, triumphing at the Adelaide International in 1997 as a qualifier, eventually winning the title.
Cruz Hewitt could face top seed and defending champion Alex de Minaur in the second round, an all-Australian clash that would add another chapter to his emerging story. De Minaur faces Stefanos Tsitsipas in the first round.
"I do feel pretty comfortable to be at the tournaments," Hewitt said. "It's pretty exciting because I've dreamed of playing at these tournaments and I've seen behind the scenes and to be in the gym and the locker room with these guys, it's pretty cool."
Sources
- BBC Sport: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/articles/cvg0921d7kxo
- Il Tennis Italiano: https://www.tennisitaliano.it/cruz-hewitt-nel-segno-di-papa-lleyton-prima-vittoria-atp-a-17-anni-nel-match-desordio/
