Wimbledon sees another Hewitt triumph—but this time, it’s Cruz. The 16-year-old son of 2002 champion Lleyton Hewitt made a strong statement in his boys’ singles debut, cruising past Savva Rybkyn with a commanding 6–1, 6–2 victory on Court 9, under the watchful eyes of his father, who was in the stands.
Sporting a backwards cap like his famous dad, Cruz displayed sharp form and composure, tallying 26 winners and demonstrating the same trademark grit that defined Lleyton’s career. He is competing in both singles and doubles in the Wimbledon boys’ draw, teaming up with British player Mark Ceban in doubles.
Though ranked 827th in the ATP singles rankings and 1252nd in doubles, Cruz is Australia’s top-ranked junior male, currently sitting at No. 44 in the ITF junior rankings. His next singles challenge will be against the 11th seed, Oskari Paldanius of Finland—a test that promises to further showcase the young Hewitt’s potential.
Cruz Hewitt’s family: A sporting legacy
Born on December 11, 2008, in Sydney’s Royal North Shore Hospital, Cruz Hewitt comes from a family steeped in elite-level sport and entertainment. His mother, Bec Hewitt, is an Australian actress and singer, best known for her long-running role on the Australian soap opera Home and Away.
Lleyton Hewitt (right) celebrates during his son’s match at Wimbledon (Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Cruz’s aunt, Jaslyn Hewitt, also played professionally on the women’s tennis tour, and his grandfather, Glynn Hewitt, was a top-level Australian rules footballer, representing Richmond in the AFL during the 1970s.
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Cruz Hewitt’s first steps on tour
Born in the Bahamas and later relocating to Australia, Cruz began his tennis journey in earnest after moving to the Gold Coast in 2021 to train at the elite KDV Tennis Academy. His junior career took off in 2022, when at just 13 years old, he became the youngest male that year to win an ITF junior title with a J5 victory in Fiji.
Over the next two years, he collected a total of seven ITF junior singles titles, including triumphs in the Virgin Islands, Darwin, Thailand, and a notable J100 title in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Cruz Hewitt plays a backhand Savva Rybkin during the Boy’s Singles first round match (Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
In 2024, Hewitt made his junior Grand Slam debut at the Australian Open, falling in the first round to a seeded American opponent. Meanwhile, on the professional circuit, Hewitt began testing the waters in 2023, entering ITF events as early as 14.
After several early exits in qualifying, he broke through in August 2024 with his first professional main-draw win at an M15 event in Bali, defeating Dutch player Thijmen Loof.
This year, he received wildcard entries into the Canberra International and the Australian Open qualifying draws, though he fell in the first rounds of both. Now in Wimbledon, he has a chance to complete a deep run.
Who is Cruz Hewitt’s coach?
While his dad, Lleyton, is Australia’s Davis Cup captain and has mentored players such as Alex de Minaur—who is also close with Cruz—the former World No. 1 is not coaching his son directly.
Cruz is coached by former player Matt Reid, who reached a career-high ranking of No. 183 in the world. In addition to being Cruz’s doubles partner, Reid has also coached Nick Kyrgios, a Wimbledon finalist.
