Cruz Hewitt stepped out of his famous father’s shadow by reaching the Wimbledon boys’ singles final as Roger Federer’s family congratulated the Australian teenager..
The 17-year-old defeated highly rated Dutch prospect Thijs Boogaard 6-4, 6-4 on Friday to become the first Australian since Alex de Minaur in 2016 to reach the Wimbledon boys’ final.
Hewitt has not dropped a set during his remarkable run through the tournament, beating four seeded opponents in succession to book a championship showdown with American Jordan Lee.
The son of former Wimbledon champion Lleyton Hewitt delivered another composed display on Court 18, combining a powerful serve that exceeded 200km/h with disciplined baseline tennis to continue the best junior grand slam campaign of his career.
Watching from the terrace were several familiar faces from one of tennis’ greatest families.
Roger Federer’s wife Mirka, his parents Robert and Lynette, and the couple’s four children – Myla, Charlene, Leo and Lenny – were among those cheering on Hewitt throughout the semi-final.
Australian teenager Cruz Hewitt fired past Thijs Boogaard to reach Sunday’s final
Cruz Hewitt acknowledged supporters before embracing Roger Federer’s family, including his twin daughters (pictured)
Hewitt produced another commanding display without dropping a set all tournament long
Following victory, Hewitt embraced the Federer children before greeting Mirka and shaking hands with Robert Federer.
‘They were opponents in the olden days,’ Robert joked to Bec Hewitt as the Federer and Hewitt families shared a moment after the match.
The friendship between the Hewitts and Federers has grown in recent years, with Federer’s children also supporting Cruz during the Australian Open earlier this season.
Lleyton Hewitt, who lifted the Wimbledon men’s singles trophy in 2002, watched proudly from courtside and continued his familiar role as an encouraging presence throughout the match.
Cruz said his father had become an important source of support, even though former Davis Cup winner Wayne Arthurs remains his coach.
‘He’s in my corner. He’s coaching a little bit, but he’s also just there for support. Every time I look over at him, he’s showing me positivity, so that gets me up and about as well.’
‘He’s pretty proud… I think he’s happy with how how far I’ve come, with my mentality, my game style, he was pretty happy.’
Despite his father’s Wimbledon pedigree, Cruz said he would not be seeking any special advice before Sunday’s final.
‘I don’t think I need to worry about that. Maybe he’ll say something, but no, I’ll just leave it all out there. I think I’ll try and enjoy it as well.’
Hewitt revealed he entered the semi-final with excitement rather than nerves and believes his improved mentality has been one of the biggest reasons behind his breakthrough fortnight.
‘I was just eager to get out there. I was so excited to get out there, playing for a spot in the final. It was all excitement. I didn’t really have any nerves, which was good.’
‘I’ve been in the zone. I have one thing in my mind, and that’s to get the win.’
The teenager was particularly pleased with how he responded after briefly losing momentum early in the second set.
‘I was taking my time a bit. I feel like I play one loose service game there, but I was very proud of how I broke straight back.’
‘I feel like I had one little moment where I let him kind of get back into the match, and then I flipped it straight back, and I felt like I got the momentum back.’
‘I think the last few months that has been a big thing that I worked on, and I was happy to see it work out there.’
While comparisons with his father have followed him throughout his junior career, Hewitt said he remains focused on forging his own path in the sport.
‘I do what I can, block out all the other noise. It doesn’t bother me too much. I kind of just focus on myself, and I just try to do my best each day.’
‘Obviously, my dad had a great career, but I’m not looking to equal it or do better.’
‘I just want to do my own career, see how good I can be as a tennis player.’
‘If you can be the best person, everything will come with it.’
Hewitt will now attempt to become the first Australian since Luke Saville in 2011 to win the Wimbledon boys’ singles title, with Jordan Lee standing between him and a place in Australian tennis history.
