Former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt marked a successful comeback to the tennis scene after an absence of nearly six years by joining forces with his 16-year-old son, Cruz, for an impressive win. The father-son pair dominated their opponents, Hayden Jones and Pavle Marinkov, with a swift 6-1, 6-0 victory in just under an hour.
Given a wildcard entry into the main draw of the NSW Open, a Challenger event held in Sydney, Hewitt and Cruz maximized the opportunity. Hewitt, recognizable by his trademark backwards cap, along with his son, managed to save all four break points against them, securing a spot in the quarter-finals swiftly.
Hewitt, a two-time Grand Slam titleholder, concluded his singles career in 2016 but only officially retired from doubles play at the 2020 Australian Open. Nevertheless, his performance in the recent match at Ken Rosewall Arena displayed no signs of rustiness, as the 44-year-old appeared comfortable and sealed the victory with a decisive net winner.
Since stepping away from professional play, Hewitt has continued his involvement in tennis as the captain of Australia’s Davis Cup team, actively supporting his son Cruz, who is making strides in his own tennis journey. Cruz has participated in junior Grand Slam tournaments and is now establishing himself in the Challenger circuit.
Despite facing some setbacks on the court, including an early exit in the men’s Australian Open qualifying rounds this year, Cruz has shown progress at the Challenger level in recent competitions. Notably, he secured his first Challenger level victory in Brisbane against James McCabe and followed up with another win before exiting in the second round.
Currently ranked at a career-high position of No. 759, Cruz Hewitt defeated fellow Australian Omar Jasika, then faced a tough loss against Matsuoka Hayato. Subsequently, he teamed up with his father for the doubles event, advancing to the quarter-finals where they are scheduled to compete against another Australian duo, Calum Puttergill and Dane Sweeny.
In other news, Sky has announced a discount on its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, offering savings of £192 and providing access to over 1,400 live matches across various leagues, including the Premier League and EFL. Sky will broadcast a minimum of 215 live Premier League matches next season, a significant increase from previous coverage.
