FORMER Wimbledon champion Leyton Hewitt has made a stunning return to the ATP Tour for the first time in five years alongside his son.
The father-and-son duo stormed to a comprehensive 6-1, 6-0 victory over fellow Australians Pavle Marinkov and Hayden Jones.
Now 44 years old, Hewitt lined up alongside his 16-year-old son Cruz at the NSW Open in Sydney.
Wednesday’s encounter was Hewitt’s first taste of competitive tennis on the ATP Tour since the 2020 Australian Open, where he also played doubles.
“It’s obviously something pretty unique and special,” Hewitt told Tennis Australia before his latest match.
“It’s not too often [that the opportunity arises] and there probably will be a time where I won’t be good enough or physically able to play with him.
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“And now he’s obviously stepped up to the mark and is good enough to play, so it sort of just crosses over nicely.”
Hewitt officially retired from singles competition in 2016 with the peak of his powers coming at the turn of the Millennium.
The Aussie won the US Open in 2001 and then Wimbledon in 2002. His victory on English soil was perhaps his most memorable, defeating local hero Tim Henman in the semi-finals.
Until Carlos Alcaraz in 2023, Hewitt was the last man outside of the ‘big four’ – Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray – to win the event.
He also won his only doubles title at the US Open in 2000. Some 25 years later, he’s now lining up alongside his son and they will face another all-Australian pair in the next round.
But Sydney appears to be the perfect place for the father-son pairing.
“Sydney’s a pretty special place as well,” Hewitt explained. “Obviously Cruz was born there and we have a lot of family and friends in Sydney, but I won four Sydney International titles as well,” he explained.
“I played the Olympics there in Sydney in 2000 when I’d just come on the tour, and I also won the Tennis Masters Cup in Sydney in 2001 to get to world No.1.”
More recently, Hewitt found himself in trouble after shoving a 60-year-old volunteer after Australia‘s Davis Cup defeat to Italy last year.
The Gold Coast-native was banned by tennis’ anti-doping agency for two weeks and slapped with a £14,600 fine for his behaviour.
His son Cruz entered his first professional tournament at 14-years-old after a decent junior career that featured a couple of titles but no Grand Slams.
At the end of 2024 he was ranked 15th in the world for his age and has spent 2025 getting his pro career off the ground.
He made his senior Grand Slam debut at the 2025 Australian Open after being granted a wildcard into the qualifying draw, but he lost said qualifier in straight sets.
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While it’s incredibly rare to see father-son duos at the top level of professional sports, it’s not totally unheard of. Just last night, LeBron and Bronny James took the floor for the Lakers.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been open about his desire to play alongside his son, Cristiano Jr, before he hangs up his boots, too.
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