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30 Jul 2026 | 08.54
Álex de Miñaur will face one of the most special matches of his career at the ATP 500 Washington 2026, where he will compete in the second round against Cruz Hewitt. Ten years separate these two players who have been connected for a long time by a relationship that goes beyond tennis, and the Australian number one has praised the young son of Lleyton Hewitt.
There are matches where the emotional component is impossible to ignore. Lleyton has been a key figure in the development of Álex de Miñaur, acting as a mentor, closely following him from his early steps on the circuit, and becoming an important person also off the courts. This relationship has made Cruz Hewitt a prominent presence in Álex's life since he was a child.
They have shared countless training sessions and moments together, but now, the growth of the young Australian has led to a situation that not long ago seemed distant: facing each other on opposite sides of the net in a major ATP tournament. Álex spoke about all this in words collected by Ben Rothenberg.
De Miñaur recognizes Cruz Hewitt's merit under extraordinary pressure
Beyond the friendship between them, De Miñaur wanted to focus on a circumstance he considers essential to understanding Cruz's evolution. Being the son of a former world number one and one of the greatest figures in Australian tennis history can open some doors, but it also implies living from an extraordinarily young age with expectations that are difficult to manage.
"I think we have to show him great respect because it's not easy to be the son of a former world number one, right? Since he started and picked up a racket, even when he was playing junior tournaments, the expectations, all eyes, and spotlights were already on him. It's not easy when you have that kind of weight on your shoulders," reflected De Miñaur.
You couldn’t script it 📝🤯
— TennisAustralia (@TennisAustralia) July 30, 2026
In the Washington DC second round, Cruz Hewitt will take on top seed/mentor/big brother Alex de Minaur!#GoAussies pic.twitter.com/f9PsQmzNST
Cruz has had to grow up listening to constant comparisons with his father and seeing how any result is magnified beyond the usual for a tennis player of his age. De Miñaur, who is intimately familiar with the Hewitt environment, considers especially valuable the way in which the young player has learned to cope with this reality.
"I consider that he has done an incredible job maturing and handling the pressure extremely well, finding his own path and becoming his own player. He is learning to deal with the spotlight and expectations really well, going out there, getting results on his own, and showing that he deserves to be where he is," he affirmed.
Álex de Miñaur highlights Cruz Hewitt's personality and character
Perhaps there lies De Miñaur's greatest praise. The challenge for Cruz is not only to progress enough to compete on the professional circuit but also to reach a point where Cruz Hewitt is talked about as a tennis player and not simply as Lleyton Hewitt's son.
Álex perceives that this process is already underway. Having closely observed his growth allows him to appreciate the personal evolution that accompanies his tennis career and how he is building his own identity. "He deserves a lot of respect for how he has handled what would have been a challenging upbringing for anyone in that situation. He's a fantastic guy. He's doing great," affirmed the current Australian tennis reference.
This is not an assessment made from afar. The ten-year difference between them has allowed De Miñaur to witness practically the entire growth process of Cruz while he himself was establishing himself among the world's best players. The shared training sessions have been frequent, and his family bond with the Hewitts adds a very particular dimension to the upcoming duel.
Lleyton Hewitt's role in the careers of De Miñaur and Cruz
It is impossible to understand everything surrounding this match without focusing on Lleyton Hewitt. The two-time Grand Slam champion has accompanied De Miñaur in his evolution for years, becoming one of his great mentors and passing on a significant part of that competitive culture that defined his own career.
De Miñaur also wanted to acknowledge the work that Lleyton has done as a father to allow Cruz to find his path without being overshadowed by the weight of his surname. "In my opinion, Lleyton has done an incredible job as a father, always helping him when he can. They have created a fantastic environment, which has contributed to him becoming a very good tennis player," Álex explained.
There is a generational continuity in the scene that Washington will offer. For years, Hewitt advised and accompanied a young De Miñaur trying to make his way among the best. Now, Álex is fully established in the elite and sees the son of his mentor embarking on that same path.
From training together to facing each other in an ATP 500
All of this makes their second-round encounter one of the most emotionally charged matches of the ATP 500 Washington 2026. De Miñaur enters with the experience and favoritism that come with his position on the circuit, but he will face a player he has known for years and whose growth he has witnessed from a privileged position.
For Cruz Hewitt, it also represents an extraordinary opportunity to measure his tennis against one of the great references of his country. It won't be just a training session between two individuals with a close relationship but an official match in an ATP 500, with all that entails.
Álex de Miñaur knows better than almost anyone all that his upcoming opponent has had to manage to get to this point. Therefore, even before the ball starts flying, he wanted to convey a clear idea: Cruz may carry one of the heaviest surnames in Australian tennis, but the steps he is taking are beginning to belong solely to him.
"He is getting results on his own and showing that he deserves to be where he is," De Miñaur concluded. Washington will now be the stage for an interesting role reversal: the boy who often shared the court with one of his father's great proteges will face him as a professional, aiming to show how far he can go.
Cette actualité est une traduction automatique. Vous pouvez lire la nouvelle originale De Miñaur alaba a Cruz Hewitt antes de su duelo en Washington: "No es nada fácil dedicarse al tenis siendo hijo de un exnúmero 1 del mundo"
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