Bec and Lleyton Hewitt have watched their teenage son follow in his famous father’s footsteps.
The actress and the tennis champion were courtside for the first ever Australian Open match for their 16-year-old, Cruz at Melbourne Park on Saturday.
Cruz was was victorious with a 6-3 6-3 win over MooBeen Kim in the opening round of the boys’ singles draw.
Australian former world No. 1 Lleyton was absolutely beside himself as Cruz dominated the court.
The 43-year-old put on an aminated display from the crowd while Cruz screamed with joy upon his win.
Bec meanwhile at times looked tense and others proud as punch as she rode the emotional rollercoaster of seeing her boy at his best.
Bec and Lleyton Hewitt have watched their teenage son Cruz (pictured) follow in his famous father’s footsteps
The actress and the tennis champion (pictured) were courtside for the first ever Australian Open match for their 16-year-old, Cruz at Melbourne Park on Saturday
Cruz was was victorious with a 6-3 6-3 win over MooBeen Kim in the opening round of the boys’ singles draw. Beck is pictured
Cruz has been a rising star in the sport, walking in the path set for him by his legendary dad.
Lleyton was forced defend his son this week after the teenager was targeted by trolls on social media.
Hewitt addressed speculation his son was handed an Australian Open wildcard for the qualifiers based largely on his famous surname.
Cruz was bundled out in the first round after he was beaten by former world No.16 Nikoloz Basilashvili in straight sets, but he won admirers for showing fight during the match.
He was one of four Aussies granted a wildcard into the qualifying draw alongside fallen star Bernard Tomic, Alex Bolt and Jason Kubler.
Some users on X were further incensed when they saw the youngster hitting with the likes of world No.1 Jannik Sinner, Nick Kyrgios, Carlos Alcaraz and local hope Alex de Minaur.
The on-the-rise teen is currently ranked 1264 in the world and is the junior world No.107, but good judges regard him as a player to watch.
‘It’s a long journey,’ two-time grand slam winner Lleyton Hewitt said on Channel Nine when asked about his son’s progress on court on Tuesday.
Australian former world No. 1 Lleyton was absolutely beside himself as Cruz dominated the court
The 43-year-old put on an aminated display from the crowd while Cruz screamed with joy upon his win
Bec meanwhile at times looked tense and others proud as punch as she rode the emotional rollercoaster of seeing her boy at his best
Cruz has been a rising star in the sport, walking in the path set for him by his legendary dad
‘I was excited to watch him play. He had a tough draw playing Basilashvili, a former No.16 and a guy who played finals at Indian Wells.
‘For Cruz to be around these guys, Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Alex de Minaur…. what unbelievable role models for him to see how they prepare.
‘He is playing well at the moment and it makes me excited when I see him hit with some of these world-class players… he can actually give them a good enough hit out there.’
Fellow Aussie tennis great Todd Woodbridge also backed the young gun, dismissing calls of ‘nepotism’ on social media.
‘Cruz is in these positions because he is a very good, talented young player and one of our best here in Australia,’ he told viewers on Tuesday.
‘He deserves every opportunity he has got to be there. Some people [online trolls] would like to say otherwise.
‘I know you [Lleyton] have to deal with that and you shouldn’t have to, so I am putting it out there — he deserves to be there.’
Cruz is brimming with confidence after claiming two titles in Sydney and one in Christchurch, New Zealand last year.
Cruz is brimming with confidence after claiming two titles in Sydney and one in Christchurch, New Zealand last year
Lleyton was forced defend his son this week after the teenager was targeted by trolls on social media
Hewitt addressed speculation his son was handed an Australian Open wildcard for the qualifiers based largely on his famous surname
In 2023, the Australian tennis champion enrolled his son in the Rafael Nadal’s tennis academy in Majorca, Spain
In 2023, the Australian tennis champion enrolled his son in the Rafael Nadal’s tennis academy in Majorca, Spain.
And prior to this, the family moved from Melbourne to Sydney to the Gold Coast in pursuit of the young Hewitt’s sporting ambitions.
The teen has had tennis ambitions for some time and in 2021 the Hewitt family upped stumps from Melbourne and plonked down just over $4million for a prized Burleigh Heads mansion on the Gold Coast.
Daily Mail Australia revealed the motive behind the Gold Coast relocation was all part of their ‘Cruz Mission’ to develop the burgeoning tennis career of son Cruz.
It’s understood Cruz’s Wimbledon champ dad Lleyton was drawn to the Coast’s many sprawling tennis centres – made up of a mix of grass, clay and hardcourt surfaces – as well as the multi-million dollar ‘champion factory’ KDV tennis academy located in Carrara.
The state-of-the-art centre – which includes 20 courts, hotel accommodation, gyms, a pool and driving range – will serve as a makeshift base for Team Hewitt as Cruz continues his rise through the international junior ranks.
Tennis sources have described Cruz as ‘as good if not better’ than his famous dad at the same age and that the budding ace is a bonafide future superstar.
‘The move (to the Gold Coast) is very much a sign that the Hewitts are getting progressively more serious about Cruz’s potential as a future world top-ten player,’ said a local tennis insider.
Lleyton and Bec were married in 2005 and also have two daughters, Mia, 19, Ava, 14.
Tennis sources have described Cruz as ‘as good if not better’ than his famous dad at the same age and that the budding ace is a bonafide future superstar