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Lleyton Hewitt's 15-year-old son Cruz made his debut at the Australian Open Junior Boys tournament on Sunday, January 21. Sporting his cap backward, just like his father, Cruz showed glimpses of his potential, despite losing in straight sets to sixth seed Alexander Razeghi.
Cruz is the second child of Lleyton and Bec Hewitt, a former actress and singer. Lleyton, who won two Grand Slam titles and was a former World No. 1, was known for his trademark backward cap, which he wore throughout his career.
Cruz made his debut at the Australian Open Junior Boys tournament as a wildcard, where he faced Alexander Razeghi in the first round. The match was a tough one for Cruz, who lost in straight sets 6-2, 6-3 in an hour and 26 minutes. He showed some flashes of skills, hitting five aces, and 14 winners. The match was played on the same court where Lleyton made his Australian Open main draw debut in 1997.
Cruz will have another chance in the boys doubles tournament, where he is competing with his partner and fellow Australian Lachlan McFadzean. They will face Razeghi and Hayden Jones in the first round.
A look at Lleyton Hewitt's performance in the Australian Open over the years
Lleyton Hewitt made his debut in the main draw as a 16-year-old in 1997, losing in the first round to two-time French Open champion Sergi Bruguera.
Hewitt's best result at the Australian Open came in 2005, when he reached the final for the first time. He defeated Rafael Nadal, David Nalbandian, and Andy Roddick en route to the final, where he lost to Marat Safin in a four-set thriller.
The Aussie won the Davis Cup with Australia in 1999 and 2003 and was a runner-up in 2000 and 2001. He also competed in three Olympic Games, reaching the quarterfinals in 2008. He played his last singles match at the 2016 Australian Open, losing to David Ferrer in straight sets in the second round. He continued to play doubles until 2020 when he retired from professional tennis.
Hewitt was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2022, becoming the 34th Australian to receive the honor. He will also be inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame at the 2024 Australian Open, where his bronze statue will join other greats of Australian tennis in Garden Square at Melbourne Park.
