Lleyton Hewitt made a return to the tennis court as he teamed up with his son Cruz to compete in the doubles event at the NSW Open in Sydney, Australia
Former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt made a triumphant return to tennis after nearly six years of retirement, teaming up with his 16-year-old son, Cruz, for a stunning victory. The father-son duo stormed through their match against Hayden Jones and Pavle Marinkov, winning 6-1, 6-0 in just 48 minutes.
The pair were granted a wildcard into the main draw of the NSW Open – a Challenger event in Sydney – and they certainly didn’t waste it. Sporting his iconic backwards cap, Hewitt and his son saved all four break points they faced, securing their place in the quarter-finals in record time.
Hewitt, a two-time Grand Slam champion, played his last singles match in 2016 but didn’t officially retire from doubles until the 2020 Australian Open. However, there was no sign of rustiness in Wednesday’s match, with the 44-year-old looking completely at ease on the Ken Rosewall Arena, clinching victory with a net winner.
READ MORE: Carlos Alcaraz heartbroken as statement released on last-minute Davis Cup withdrawalREAD MORE: Emma Raducanu denies Carlos Alcaraz reunion as Brit pulls out of events
Since retiring, Hewitt has remained involved in tennis as the captain of Australia’s Davis Cup team and is often seen cheering on his son, Cruz, who is carving out a career of his own.
The teenager has competed at junior Grand Slam tournaments and is beginning to make his mark on the Challenger circuit.
Earlier this year, Cruz took part in the Wimbledon boys’ singles event, where he had a bit of a spat with his dad, who was watching from his box. Despite winning his opening match, the 16-year-old suffered a 6-3, 6-0 defeat to Oskari Paldanius in the second round.
The Daily Mail reports that the current world No. 759, Cruz Hewitt, accused his dad of “acting for the cameras” and repeatedly dismissed his advice, shaking his head.
“I tried that!” he told his father after going 0-3 down in the second set. Cruz’s team attempted to reassure him, but the young player snapped back: “It’s not fine, it’s nearly four-love!”
Despite experiencing some challenging moments on the tennis court – including a first-round loss in this year’s men’s Australian Open qualifying – Cruz has been making progress at the Challenger level in recent weeks.
Last week, Hewitt’s son secured his first victory at the Challenger level in Brisbane, defeating world No. 192 James McCabe before succumbing to Wu Tung-lin in three sets.
He clinched another win in the singles draw in Brisbane before exiting in the second round.
Currently enjoying a career-high ranking of No. 759, Cruz overcame fellow Aussie Omar Jasika, then suffered a 5-7, 6-3, 7-5 defeat to Matsuoka Hayato, before joining his dad on the doubles court and powering through to the quarter-finals.
They are set to face another all-Australian pair, Calum Puttergill and Dane Sweeny, in their upcoming match.
Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.
