Former world No. 1 tennis player Lleyton Hewitt returned to the sport in a spectacular fashion after a nearly six-year retirement period. Hewitt teamed up with his 16-year-old son, Cruz, for a remarkable victory, defeating Hayden Jones and Pavle Marinkov with a convincing score of 6-1, 6-0 in just under an hour.
The father-son duo received a wildcard entry into the main draw of the NSW Open, a Challenger event held in Sydney, and they made the most of this opportunity. Hewitt, sporting his famous backward cap, and his son showcased a strong performance, saving all four break points they encountered and swiftly advancing to the quarter-finals.
Although Hewitt had last played singles in 2016, officially retiring from doubles only in the 2020 Australian Open, his skills were on full display during the recent match. The 44-year-old displayed his comfort on the Ken Rosewall Arena and sealed the victory with a well-executed net winner.
Remaining active in the tennis scene post-retirement, Hewitt now serves as the captain of Australia’s Davis Cup team while actively supporting his son, Cruz, who is making a name for himself in the sport. Cruz, a budding talent, has participated in junior Grand Slam tournaments and is gradually establishing his presence in the Challenger circuit.
Despite facing some setbacks, including a loss in this year’s men’s Australian Open qualifying, Cruz has been showing progress at the Challenger level. Recently, he secured his first Challenger-level win in Brisbane by defeating world No. 192 James McCabe before facing a defeat against Wu Tung-lin in a competitive match.
With a current ranking of No. 759, Cruz is steadily climbing the ranks, having triumphed over Omar Jasika and experienced a tough loss against Matsuoka Hayato in previous matches. Following his singles success, Cruz teamed up with his father in the doubles event, advancing to the quarter-finals where they are scheduled to compete against another Australian pair, Calum Puttergill and Dane Sweeny.
In other news, Sky has announced a price reduction for its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle, offering savings of £192 and access to over 1,400 live matches across various leagues including the Premier League and EFL for the upcoming 2025/26 season. Sky will broadcast a minimum of 215 live Premier League games, a significant increase from the previous season.