Future tennis star Cruz Hewitt has been given a wildcard into Australian Open 2025 qualifying.
The 16-year-old – son of Australian two-time major winner Lleyton – has been handed the opportunity at Melbourne Park after toiling away on the Challenger and ITF circuits.
Cruz will enter the qualifying tournament, which begins on Monday, January 6, and need to win three consecutive matches to reach the men’s singles draw.
He will follow in the footsteps of father Lleyton, who received a wildcard and qualified for the Australian Open as a 15-year-old in 1997, before losing in the first round to two-time French Open winner Sergi Bruguera.
MORE: Will Cruz Hewitt play Australian Open 2025? Son of tennis legend secures qualifying wildcard
Cruz has never played an ATP match before as he builds his career via experience on the Challenger and ITF circuit.
He created headlines earlier this year at the Australian Open 2024 boys singles, despite losing his first round match to Alexander Razeghi 6-2 6-3.
There was intense interest around the return of a Hewitt to Melbourne Park, with Court 3 packed to capacity for Cruz’s Melbourne bow.
Other notable names to receive Australian Open qualifying wildcards include two-time grand slam winner Simona Halep, while both men’s and women’s 2024 junior champions – Rei Sakamoto and Renata Jamrichova – both were given the opportunity.
Australian Open 2025 qualifying wildcards
Men
- Marc Polmans (AUS)
- Matthew Dellavedova (AUS)
- Blake Ellis (AUS)
- Edward Winter (AUS)
- Dane Sweeney (AUS)
- Rei Sakamoto (JPN – Australian Open boys 2024 junior champion)
- Pavle Marinkov (AUS)
- Hayden Jones (AUS)
- Cruz Hewitt (AUS)
Women
- Astra Sharma (AUS)
- Tina Smith (AUS)
- Petra Hule (AUS)
- Lizette Cabrera (AUS)
- Jamiee Fourlis (AUS)
- Melisa Ercan (AUS)
- Renata Jamrichova (Australian Open girls 2024 junior champion)
- Elena Micic (AUS)
- Simona Halep (ROU)
