In a heartwarming turn of events for Australian sport, tennis legend Lleyton Hewitt is stepping out of retirement to share the court with his son, Cruz. The iconic duo will compete as a wildcard pairing in the doubles draw of an ATP Challenger event this week, marking a significant family milestone.
A Family Affair On The Court
This week's competition is a major one for the Hewitt family. Cruz Hewitt, who will celebrate his 17th birthday next month, is steadily carving his own path in professional tennis. He secured his first singles victory on the second-tier tour just last week in Brisbane. His campaign continues in Sydney on Tuesday with a first-round singles match against Australian veteran Omar Jasika.
Following his singles effort, attention will shift to the highly anticipated father-son partnership. The Hewitts have been drawn to face another all-Australian pair, Hayden Jones and Pavle Marinkov. This special pairing was confirmed when Lleyton appeared alongside Cruz at the official draw on Monday, a plan set in motion before Lleyton's own celebratory night at the Sport Australia Hall of Fame induction in Melbourne.
From Hall of Fame to Comeback King
Lleyton Hewitt, now 44 and serving as Australia's Davis Cup captain, officially retired from singles play in 2016. However, his competitive fire has flickered back to life on the doubles circuit before. He made a return in 2018 and sporadic appearances in 2019, with his last professional matches occurring in the summer of 2020. During that stint, he partnered with Jordan Thompson in his hometown of Adelaide and at the Australian Open, though they were defeated in the first round on both occasions.
Six years later, the drive to compete has been rekindled by a unique opportunity. Watching his son's rise from the sidelines has tempted the former world No. 1 back to competition for one more special run.
The Australian Rules Football Dream That Nearly Was
This comeback arrives after Hewitt recently revealed how close he came to walking away from tennis entirely at the peak of his career. By 2003, he had already achieved the world No. 1 ranking and won grand slam titles at the US Open (2001) and Wimbledon (2002). After a first-round exit in his Wimbledon title defence and the loss of his top ranking, Hewitt contemplated a switch to his first sporting love: Australian Rules Football.
There was talk of a potential move to the AFL, with Port Adelaide coach and family friend Mark Williams involved in discussions. While Williams has previously stated that Hewitt contacted him, the tennis star insists the approach came from the Power coach. The idea involved a pre-season game and a potential rookie-list spot.
"I grew up absolutely hating the Power, the Port Adelaide Magpies," Hewitt admitted. "But at the time, I was actually considering it. I didn't love the contract and the money. He (Williams) ended up giving me a few weeks to think about it."
The decision was ultimately made on the tennis court. A legendary comeback from two sets down to beat Roger Federer in the 2003 Davis Cup semi-final cemented Hewitt's future in tennis. He promptly called Williams to decline the AFL offer, ensuring his legacy remained firmly in the world of tennis, a legacy he now gets to build upon with his son.
