The return of Leyton Hewitt professional tennis has generated great expectations on the circuit, since the former world number one and current Davis Cup captain of Australia He will compete in doubles again with his son Cruz Hewitt16 years old, in the ATP Challenger Sydney (NSW Open). Both received a special invitation to participate in the tournament, where they will face the Australian pair formed by Pavle Marinkov y Hayden Jonesalso invited, as reported ATP Tour.
The news marks a milestone both in the sporting and family spheres. Leyton Hewitt44, retired from singles competition a decade ago and had not played a professional doubles match since 2020, when he participated in the Australian Open alongside Jordan Thompson. On that occasion, the Australian duo fell to the South Koreans Jisung-Nam y Minkyu Songwhich marked Hewitt’s last official meeting until this return.
The trajectory of Hewitt places him among the most prominent figures of the Australian tennis and global. He led the ATP ranking for 80 weeks between 2001 and 2003, won two Grand Slam titles (US Open 2001 and Wimbledon 2002) and won a total of 30 ATP trophies throughout his career, according to data from ATP Tour. He also managed to win two ATP Finals. After his retirement, he assumed the role of captain of the Australian Davis Cup team, remaining linked to high performance and the training of new generations of tennis players.
For its part, Cruz Hewitt represents the new generation of Australian tennis. At just 16 years old, he is ranked 759 in the PIF ATP Ranking and will face his third participation in the main draw of a Challenger tournament in Sydney, both in doubles and singles. During 2025, Cruz has competed in several ITF tournaments and in the four Grand Slams in the junior category, although he has not made it past the second round in these major stages. In doubles, his experience on the Challenger circuit is limited, with only one victory recorded so far.
He ATP Challenger Sydneyknown as NSW Openwill be the setting for this unique family and sports reunion. The debut of the Hewitt duo is scheduled against the Australians Hayden Jones y Pavle Marinkovboth 19 years old and also beneficiaries of a special invitation. The exact time of the match has not yet been announced, but fans will be able to follow all the matches of the tournament live and for free through Challenger TVas detailed ATP Tour.
The meaning of this event transcends the purely competitive. The motivation of Leyton Hewitt to come out of retirement responds to a personal desire to share the professional experience with their son, at a time that they consider unique both for the family and for Australian tennis. The symbolic component of generational transmission and the opportunity to compete together at home give this return a special value.
Talented and irascible, with several controversies on the circuit due to his passionate way of playing and celebrating on the courts, he knew glory and fortune: in prizes alone, he earned almost 21 million dollars in his career. Now he returns to wielding a racket professionally for reasons of the heart.
