He may be the son of one of Australia’s greatest-ever tennis players, Lleyton Hewitt, but Cruz Hewitt‘s own career on the court is flourishing. And after a huge year on the court, the 15-year-old prodigy has been nominated for another major award just a month after being named the NSW Junior Athlete of the Year.

The teenager is among three nominees for Tennis Australia’s male junior athlete of the year, with the award to be handed out at the John Newcombe medal ceremony on December 9 in Melbourne. Currently ranked 104 on the junior world rankings, Cruz has enjoyed somewhat a breakout year in 2024. In August, he won two consecutive junior ITF titles before then claiming his first senior victory later that month, beating a Dutch player seven years his senior at an ITF event in Bali.

That win, over then world number 993 Thijmen Loof, gave the younger Hewitt bragging rights over his father, who didn’t secure a main draw win on the pro circuit until he was 16. Cruz, who will turn 16 in December, is expected to return to the junior singles draw at the Australian Open in January after he received a main draw wildcard in 2024 but was beaten in the first round. The young Aussie sensation, however, has come on a lot since then and is a serious prospect on the rise.

At the launch of the Australian Open last month Hewitt said his son’s tennis future was “pretty exciting” and expressed how Cruz is unbothered by the extra spotlight that comes with being a famous tennis star’s son.

“I don’t think he focuses on it too much – he’s like most kids these days, they just go about their thing,” Lleyton said. “It’s his journey, and it’s a very long journey, and he’s only just got his first ATP point, which is fantastic to start somewhere – but it does feel like a bloody long journey.”

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Cruz was granted a wildcard into the Australian Open junior boys tournament in January, in what marked the biggest match of his career to date. He was also selected in Australia’s junior Davis Cup team and shadowed the senior team when they played in the group stage of the team event.

Last month Hewitt offered an insight into his son’s 2025 schedule, which is set to begin with an appearance at Melbourne Park. “Most likely he’ll be playing in the juniors, which is pretty awesome for him again,” Hewitt said at the Australian Open launch in Melbourne.

“He got the experience of being there earlier this year, and then, yeah, to come back. And I think it’s every kid’s dream to play in a grand slam, but we’re very fortunate being in this country, that we get it in our backyard as well.”

Lleyton has had a front-row seat to watch Cruz’s incredible growth both on and off the court. And when asked about how Cruz managed to grow taller than him in the space of a few years, Hewitt couldn’t help but turn to his wife Bec and give her credit. “Bec’s obviously fed him well,” Hewitt joked. “He’s got us covered by a long way. Easily taller than me.”

with newswire