Hewitt close to following in dad Lleyton's Wimbledon-winning footsteps
One more win is all that stands in the way of Cruz Hewitt following in the footsteps of his father Lleyton and being forever etched in Wimbledon folklore.
Hewitt, who had previously won just two Junior Grand Slam main draw matches, dispatched Thijs Boogaard 6-4 6-4 in a hotly contested showdown to reach the boys' singles final. He will now face American Jordan Lee in the final.
The 17-year-old is the first Australian to reach the Wimbledon boys’ singles final since Alex de Minaur in 2016, while the last Aussie to win a Grand Slam boys’ title was Alexei Popyrin at Roland Garros in 2017. Success is tantalisingly within reach.
“Cruz Hewitt – Wimbledon champion sounds pretty good but there is one more to go, the job is not done,” said Hewitt.
“I am excited to get out there and I know it is one match away, but I have got to do the same thing as I have done all week because it’s been working. I will go out there, back myself and leave it all out there.
“I think I lift better for the final and I try to bring my best tennis every round, but you get hungrier every round. When you’re playing for a trophy and a title there are bound to be nerves, but I think I deal with the nerves pretty well.
“In terms of my performance today, I am really happy. Like all my matches this week, I was very level-headed, stayed pretty composed for the whole match and that allowed me to play good tennis. I am so happy to be in the final.”
Mere mention of Cruz Hewitt inevitably prompts mention of his father, Lleyton, who looked on proudly as his son made the final, while he dished out a big pat on the back during the post-match celebrations.
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Should Cruz win on Sunday, he will achieve something his dad never did and that is win the boys’ title at the Junior Championships. Lleyton reached the third round on his only appearance here in 1997.
He did, of course, proceed to win the 2022 Wimbledon men’s singles title to double his Grand Slam tally following success at the 2001 US Open as he consolidated his place as world No. 1.
“My dad helps me a lot,” added Cruz, who warmed up for his showdown with Boogaard by hitting with Great Britain’s Arthur Fery ahead of his men’s singles semi-final tussle with Alexander Zverev.
“He is in my corner, he coaches a little bit, but he is there for support and, every time I look over at him, he is showing positivity and that gets me up. I think he is proud and happy with how far I have come with my mentality and my game-style.
“Talk of my dad and comparisons is always there, but I take the positives out of it. I do what I can to block out all the noise, but it doesn’t bother me too much. I just focus on myself and try to do my best each day.
“That is not something I have had to work on, I have always had that as part of my personality. My dad had a great career, and I am not looking to equal that or do better. I just want to have my own career and see how good I can be.”
That said, Cruz may well be about to cash in one particular dividend. By accompanying his father during his playing days, Cruz feels incredibly comfortable at Wimbledon – both on and off court.
“There is such a home feeling for me here,” he said. “My dad played here for a while and I was always at the tennis, wanting to watch the tennis and be around the Aussie players who I was fortunate to know from such a young age.
“Grass also. Grass is probably my favourite surface. I feel very comfortable on grass and it suits my game.”
Victory in the boys' final would be incontestable evidence in support of that statement.
A full list of results from the 2026 Junior Championships, Wimbledon is available here