Cruz Hewitt breaks through as the family name starts to carry a different kind of weight
Cruz Hewitt’s first ATP Tour win signals a new stage in a career long watched closely.
Cruz Hewitt has lived in tennis’s spotlight for as long as fans have known his name, but the latest step in his career suggests he may be ready to stand on his own terms. The teenager, son of former world No 1 and Wimbledon champion Lleyton Hewitt, has long been surrounded by the game, and now he is beginning to turn that background into results.
Lleyton Hewitt’s career placed him among the sport’s elite before Roger Federer’s rise transformed the men’s game, and he remains close to tennis today as Australia’s Davis Cup captain. For Cruz, that has meant learning the sport with direct guidance from someone who has already travelled the full path to the top. The younger Hewitt has also benefited from years around major players, while building his own identity through the junior ranks.
His promise has been evident for some time. Last month, he reached the Boys’ singles final at Wimbledon, a result that underlined the level he has been carrying into the professional game. On Tuesday, he made the next move by recording his first ATP Tour victory, defeating fellow qualifier Marcos Giron of the United States 6-3 6-4 in 74 minutes.
“It’s pretty surreal to win here,” Hewitt said after his victory against Giron. “Obviously I saw my dad play here. I came to his last tournament, I remember. There are so many memories of that. To make it to round two, it’s very special.”
His development has included time in The Bahamas before the family moved to the Gold Coast in 2021. Reflecting on his early memories, he said: “I have obviously a lot of memories watching my dad play,” he said. “I remember watching his last Australian Open here. That was a cool experience. Him playing [at] Rod Laver [Arena] and me being there watching – and it was just a special experience that week.
“I had my first lesson in The Bahamas, actually with a few of my friends. And it was just a lot of fun. Just for fun at the start. And then didn’t really get fully, seriously into it until I was about 12.”
Asked about his dream doubles partner, he added: “Obviously Carlos (Alcaraz) and Jannik (Sinner), but I’d love to play with some of the Aussie boys as well, like Demon (Alex de Minaur). That would be pretty cool as well, I looked up to him a lot.
De Minaur, who has known him for years, spoke warmly about Cruz ahead of their meeting in Washington. “I’ve seen Cruz grow up for the past 10 years. I’ve seen him become the man that he is right now. I’ve hit with him countless times.” said De Minaur.
“We both came here early before the tournament. The first few days we hit with each other. So it’s going to be a pretty cool feeling I think to be able to play him. I’m excited for it. It’s going to be a lot of fun.
“He’s earned his way to where he is right now. He’s been playing some incredible tennis and ‘big boy’ tennis. I’m going to have to be ready and hopefully make his life as difficult as I can make it.
“Ever since he started, he picked up the racquet, ever since he was playing junior tournaments, the expectation, the eyeballs, the spotlight was already on him. It’s not easy when there is that kind of weight behind your surname.
“I think what he’s done an incredible job of is maturing and really getting a good head on his shoulders and coming into his own, becoming his own player, and really dealing with the spotlight and the expectations really, really well, and ultimately coming out and having these results on his own and kind of showing that he deserves to be where he is.
“I’ve hit with Cruz since for the last three, four years almost at every Slam. He’s out there, and we always hit with each other.
“It’s great to see him grow and develop and year after year becoming more of a man obviously and having this really good game and growing into his own body. Now he’s out here beating some very high-quality players.”
At 17, Cruz Hewitt is still only at the beginning of his professional journey, but the signs are already clear. He has begun to convert years of expectation into progress, and his first ATP Tour win suggests there may be more to come.
Analytics & Stats ATP Tour
Zverev Arrives at Laver Cup With Europe’s Title Bid in Focus
Zverev arrives at the Laver Cup with Team Europe aiming to reclaim the trophy in London.
Alexander Zverev has already reached the Laver Cup as he continues a packed 2026 season, and his attention has quickly shifted to Team Europe’s attempt to reclaim the trophy.
The German has been a constant presence on the men’s tour this year, a run that has helped him take advantage of injuries to Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. That consistency has also carried him to the biggest results of his career, with Zverev winning Roland Garros and the US Open to claim his first two Grand Slam titles. He is now close to Sinner’s world No 1 ranking.
For the moment, though, the Laver Cup is the immediate target. Team Europe were beaten by Team World at the 2025 event in San Francisco, and Zverev is determined to help put things right.
He has long been one of the event’s most familiar figures, and he explained why the format continues to appeal to him while practicing at the tournament.
Speaking during his practice sessions at the tournament, Zverev said: “I love the competition. I’ve been part of all the European teams that have won the Laver Cup.
“Of course, we want to bring the Laver Cup back to Europe and try to win it. I think we have the best players in the world here. It’s special to be on a team with them and to build a strong team. We will do everything to win this weekend.”
His record at the event helps explain that attachment. Since the Laver Cup began in 2017, Zverev has made seven appearances, more than any other player. He has won the competition five times, more than anyone else, and also owns the most singles wins, the most singles points and the most points overall.
Zverev’s career Laver Cup record stands at 9-7, a 56% winning rate. Over the years, he has shared the team environment with players such as Roger Federer and Carlos Alcaraz, and has beaten Frances Tiafoe and Milos Raonic in singles.
This year, he will line up alongside Alcaraz, Rafael Jodar, Casper Ruud, Jakub Mensik, and Flavio Cobolli under Yannick Noah and Tim Henman. Their opponents will be Team World, coached by Andre Agassi and Pat Rafter, with Taylor Fritz, Alex de Minaur, Learner Tien, Brandon Nakashima, Alexander Bublik, and Francisco Cerundolo in the squad.
The tournament is scheduled for The O2 Arena in London from September 25th to 27th, with singles and doubles matches spread across the weekend.
1000
Alex Eala opens Singapore challenge against Prozorova as ranking gains loom
Eala begins in Singapore against Prozorova, with ranking gains and a clearer draw within reach.
Alex Eala will start her Singapore Open run against Tatiana Prozorova in the second round, with her first match since a tense three-set defeat to Iva Jovic in the third round of the US Open on 6 September.
On paper, the route to the WTA 500 final has become slightly less demanding. Eighth seed Donna Vekic fell in the opening round, while second seed Amanda Anisimova withdrew at the last moment because of a wrist injury. Eala had been projected to meet the American, who beat her in three sets in Cincinnati last month, in the semi-finals. If Eala goes all the way to the final, the only seed she can potentially face before that stage is seventh seed Maria Sakkari.
Interest in her return is growing, especially from supporters who will have the chance to follow her much closer to home. Tournament director Yazed Osman has welcomed that attention and was clear about Eala’s wider appeal.
She said, “The Eala story is not only unique to the Philippines, but also with the tennis fraternity globally. She played her first few games here in the WTA during the WTA Finals. We have the Future Stars program, and she won that tournament when she was 12 years old. And the family shared that they remembered the OCBC Arena, and the courts where she stayed and so on.
“And then last year she also featured in the Singapore Tennis Open 250, and now this 500. So her journey itself has been an inspiration to the tennis community, and I think the region is actually coming here and feeling very excited to see her perform at the highest level.”
According to the tournament website, Eala will face world No 180 Prozorova on Thursday, 24 September. She is scheduled as the fourth match on Centre Court, with the round-of-16 meeting set for no earlier than 6.30pm local time, 11.30am GMT/BST.
Eala will be on court after Joanna Garland meets Xin Wang and before Sakkari faces Nao Hibino.
A win would move her ahead of Naomi Osaka to 17th in the rankings, while lifting the title would take her to a career-high 14. With many rivals absent from WTA Tour action this week, the Singapore event offers Eala a clear chance to improve her position before the Asian Cup.
ATP Tour
Zverev’s breakthrough season rewrites a long-running story
Zverev’s breakthrough year has changed the narrative after Noah recalled his doubts and frustration.
Alexander Zverev has finally put an end to years of frustration by winning two Grand Slam titles in 2026, a development that left Yannick Noah reflecting on how uncertain the German once felt about ever getting there.
Zverev first lifted a major trophy at the French Open in June, then reinforced that achievement by beating Ben Shelton in the US Open final earlier this month. After so many seasons of falling short against Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, it had sometimes appeared that the next wave of champions, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, would keep the door closed as well.
Noah, who captained Team Europe at last year’s Laver Cup in San Francisco, said Zverev was not in a strong place mentally at the time. The German went on to lose the event’s decisive match to Taylor Fritz, and Noah suggested confidence was part of the issue.
“This guy tried so hard, kept coming back, you know, he’s coming up against Nadal, then he’s coming up against Djokovic and then he’s coming again and it’s Roger,” began Noah, speaking on an episode of the Off Court with Greg Rusedski podcast that will be released on Thursday.
“Then it’s Alcaraz and it’s Sinner, but he kept coming back and suddenly it’s paid off. I was really happy when he won the French Open and then so happy to see his face when he won the US Open. He was like a little child and he didn’t even know he had won at the end.”
Noah expanded on the mood he sensed during that Laver Cup campaign, describing a player who was battling frustration but never stopped pushing.
“Last year he was not in a good place because I could tell that he was getting a little frustrated,” stated the 1983 French Open champion.
“He was tired of trying too hard. But he just kept trying. I think he showed so much resilience over the ten years. He has been No 2, No 3 and he always kept trying. As a player, this is something that you have and as a coach, as a parent. You always say, keep trying, never give up, never give up. But sometimes it’s very hard.
“And it was very hard on Sascha. I got some quality time with him when I say, you know, keep trying, your time will come. But you’re not sure. You hope. You’re trying to be positive about this. You’re trying to be optimistic, but you don’t know.
“And then all of a sudden you when I see him win, when I saw him win the French, I was happy for him because he deserved it. He’s worked so hard for these moments.”
Zverev and Alcaraz now sit at the centre of Noah’s Team Europe plans for the Laver Cup in London, which begins on Friday as they aim to respond to last year’s loss to Team World.
Zverev Arrives at Laver Cup With Europe’s Title Bid in Focus
Alex Eala opens Singapore challenge against Prozorova as ranking gains loom
Zverev’s breakthrough season rewrites a long-running story
Raducanu Arrives at US Open With Momentum After Strong Hard‑Court Swing
Maestrelli Triumphs in Bergamo, Claims Challenger Title and Career‑High Ranking
