Lleyton Hewitt’s return to the ring was short-lived, but was marked by a symbolic victory alongside his son Cruz. The Australian duo defeated compatriots Hayden Jones and Pavle Marikov 6-1, 6-0 in just 46 minutes, in the doubles draw of the New South Wales Open in Sydney.
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Hewitt, the current captain of the Australian Davis Cup team, played his last singles match in 2016, at the Australian Open, but continued in doubles until 2020. At the age of 44, the two-time Grand Slam champion showed agility and precision, moving from side to side before closing out the match with a calculated backhand slice.
Photos released from the tournament show father and son embracing after the win, a gesture that contrasts with recent events, such as Cruz’s frustration after being eliminated from the Wimbledon youth draw.
Despite the strong performance in doubles, Cruz (16 years old) had a difficult day in the singles category. After being invited to compete, he lost to Japanese Hayato Matsuoka 7-5, 3-6, 7-5. According to the Daily Mail, he is one of Lleyton’s three children with former Australian actress Bec Hewitt, and has been gradually climbing up the Challenger Tour rankings.
Currently, Lleyton Hewitt is ranked 759th on the ATP Tour, and has occasionally competed in smaller tournaments. At the M25 in Brisbane, he advanced to the semi-finals before being eliminated by world number 215, David Sweeney, in a well-balanced duel.
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