In a recent turn of events at the Australian Open 2025, Cruz Hewitt, the son of former world No. 1 tennis star Lleyton Hewitt, faced disappointment by not qualifying for the tournament’s main draw. On January 7, Cruz, just 16 years old, was defeated in straight sets by Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili during the opening round of the qualifiers. The match, held on Court 3, lasted for an hour and 13 minutes, ending with scores of 6-1, 6-4 in favor of Basilashvili.
Lleyton Hewitt was at the venue to support his son, passionately cheering “C’mon!” after Cruz scored a couple of points. However, the experience proved challenging for the young player as Basilashvili, a former world No. 16, showcased his skill and experience.
After the match, Basilashvili praised Cruz’s performance, saying, “Cruz showed up and played very well. When I was 16, I would have been nervous to play on a Grand Slam court like that.”
Basilashvili is set to face Russia’s Alibek Kachmazov in the next round, who earned his spot by defeating Japan’s Shintaro Mochizuki 6-3, 7-6 (7-1).
Reflecting on his own path, Lleyton Hewitt, who now serves as Australia’s Davis Cup captain, made his own debut at the Australian Open as a 15-year-old qualifier in 1997. He went on to have an illustrious career, achieving the world No. 1 ranking at just 20 and winning Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon and the US Open.
Additionally, Bernard Tomic, once viewed as a potential champion following in Lleyton’s footsteps, also exited the qualifiers early. At 32 years old, Tomic, who primarily competes on the Challenger circuit, lost to Czech player Jozef Kovalik with a score of 6-3, 6-1 in just under an hour. Tomic, who reached a high of No. 17 in the world and made it to the Wimbledon quarter-finals as a teenager in 2011, has reached the fourth round of the Australian Open three times in his career.
