Cruz Hewitt Wins on Senior Debut

Cruz Hewitt, the 17-year-old son of former world number one Lleyton Hewitt, earned his first ATP victory during his main singles draw debut. The Australian defeated fellow qualifier Marcos Giron of the United States with a score of 6-3, 6-4 in a match that lasted 74 minutes. This maiden win took place at the Washington Open, a tournament his father had won back in 2004. Lleyton Hewitt has a total of 30 career titles, which includes the prestigious Wimbledon men’s singles crown from 2002.

"It’s a pretty special moment," Cruz Hewitt stated. "Seeing my dad play this tournament and to get my first tour win, it feels really cool."

After his victory, Hewitt expressed the possibility of facing fellow Australian Alex de Minaur next, who is the top seed and defending champion at Washington. De Minaur was set to compete against Greek player Stefanos Tsitsipas on Wednesday.

Cruz celebrated his victory by mimicking a famous gesture from his father, which involved a right arm bicep curl. "He just always did it, and when I was little, I’ve just always seen it," he explained. "It’s cool to be able to do that now because obviously my dad has been a huge part of where I am today."

The teenager recounted feeling inspired upon noticing his father’s name on the ring of champions in Washington D.C. during the qualifying rounds. "It’s very surreal," he mentioned. "Kind of inspirational to look up at it as well."

Cruz expressed enjoyment about his comfort level at the tournaments, saying, "It’s pretty exciting because I’ve dreamed of playing at these tournaments. I’ve seen behind the scenes, and to be in the gym and the locker room with these guys, it’s pretty cool."