Cruz Hewitt, son of former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt, achieved his first ATP tour victory at the Washington DC tournament at the age of 17. The win came as an upset against Marcos Giron, ranked world No. 85.
Hewitt earned a qualifying wildcard for the ATP 500 event after reaching the Wimbledon boys' final earlier this month, where he faced American Jordan Lee. Though he lost that junior Grand Slam match in three sets, the performance led to the wildcard opportunity.
In Washington, Hewitt advanced to the main draw when both of his scheduled opponents retired. He then secured his first ATP main draw win with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Giron. This achievement marked him as the youngest winner at the tournament since Kei Nishikori in 2007. He celebrated with his father's signature 'vicht' celebration, 22 years after Lleyton Hewitt's own title win in the same city.
"I remember being in the locker room... I remember my dad making his protein shake… being around him on the practice court," Hewitt said after the match, recalling his childhood experiences at the Washington tournament. "I remember I did an interview with him as well, and now sitting here doing my own interview, it's surreal."
He shared that his father's advice before stepping on court was simply to "enjoy it, enjoy the opportunity I had." Hewitt added, "When I enjoy it, I think I bring my best game when I'm having fun."
Lleyton Hewitt, a two-time Grand Slam champion, retired in 2016 after securing 30 singles titles and holding the world No. 1 ranking for 80 weeks. His son has also found support from fellow Australian player Alex de Minaur, whom he trained with leading up to the tournament and considers like an "older brother."
Hewitt, currently ranked world No. 612, has previously received wildcards for the Australian Opens in 2025 and 2026. This victory is expected to provide a significant confidence and points boost as he navigates the junior, Challenger, and Futures circuits.