Former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt marked his comeback to the tennis scene after a nearly six-year hiatus by teaming up with his 16-year-old son, Cruz, for an impressive win. The father-son duo delivered a commanding performance, defeating Hayden Jones and Pavle Marinkov with a scoreline of 6-1, 6-0 in just under an hour.
Securing a wildcard entry into the main draw of the NSW Open, a Challenger event held in Sydney, Hewitt and his son seized the opportunity with finesse. Displaying his trademark backward cap, Hewitt, a two-time Grand Slam champion, displayed no signs of rustiness as he and Cruz saved all four break points they encountered, swiftly advancing to the quarter-finals.
Although Hewitt bid farewell to singles matches in 2016, officially retiring from doubles play at the 2020 Australian Open, his prowess was evident in the recent match. The 44-year-old displayed comfort and skill on the Ken Rosewall Arena, sealing the victory with a decisive net winner.
Maintaining his tennis involvement post-retirement, Hewitt has taken on the role of captain for Australia’s Davis Cup team and is a supportive presence for his son, Cruz, who is establishing his own tennis career. Cruz, who has participated in junior Grand Slam tournaments, is now making a name for himself in the Challenger circuit.
Despite facing setbacks, including an early exit in this year’s men’s Australian Open qualifying rounds, Cruz has been showing progress at the Challenger level in recent competitions. Notably, he achieved his first Challenger level victory in Brisbane by defeating world No. 192 James McCabe before succumbing to Wu Tung-lin in a hard-fought match.
With a current career-high ranking of No. 759, Cruz overcame compatriot Omar Jasika before narrowly falling to Matsuoka Hayato. Subsequently, he joined forces with his father on the doubles court, propelling them to the quarter-finals where they are scheduled to challenge another Australian pair, Calum Puttergill and Dane Sweeny.
In other news, Sky has announced a discounted offer on its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, providing substantial savings and access to over 1,400 live matches across various leagues, including the Premier League and EFL. Sky is set to broadcast a minimum of 215 live Premier League games next season, a notable increase from previous seasons.