He may be the son of an Australian tennis great, but 2025 is shaping up as the year of Cruz Hewitt.

As the 16-year-old attempts to qualify for a maiden Australian Open appearance, there’s a lot to be excited about, as he hopes to follow in father Lleyton Hewitt’s footsteps.

But Hewitt has a tough test first up on Tuesday, facing former world No.16 Nikoloz Basilashvili in his first qualifying match.

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And the teenager will have to defeat Basilashvili and win another two consecutive qualifying matches to progress through to the Australian Open main draw.

But veteran Australian tennis coach Wally Masur has faith in Hewitt to do what his father did nearly three decades ago at a similar age, and burst onto the international tennis scene.

Masur reflected on a time when he was training world No.68 Alex Vukic, when they put Hewitt through his paces.

“He (Hewitt) was holding his own. We started playing points. I said to Alex, ‘I think he can play points mate’. He’s going to be all right,” Masur told The Age.

“Sure enough, he was.

“He had good energy, very enthusiastic, and he can play.”

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So what makes him stand apart from his famous father?

His height, for one thing.

The newly 16-year-old is already standing tall at 186cm, which means he’s got a big advantage compared to his dad.

Two-time grand slam winner Lleyton stood at 178cm.

Hewitt is ranked No.1265 in the world rankings, while he peaked at junior level last year.

In October 2024, Hewitt ranked world No.99 in the juniors, where he now sits as world No.106.

And while Hewitt’s first task is a mammoth one, experienced tennis administrator and former pro Peter Johnston has no doubt the teen is here to stay.

“He’ll go out and embrace it, and just relish the opportunity,” Johnston said.

“I think it’s fantastic and, hey, ‘what’s to lose’. It’s just another step.

“I think we can fasten our seat belt and look forward to the next 15 years, really.”

Hewitt attracted some attention on Sunday when he had a practice hit with world No.1 Jannik Sinner in Melbourne.

An Instagram post of the moment was unfortunately soiled by comments from Nick Kyrgios, who has engaged in a public feud with Sinner.