Cruz Hewitt, son of former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt, is one win away from writing his own chapter in his family’s Wimbledon story. The 17-year-old has reached the boys’ singles final at the All England Club. Doing so has put him on the cusp of ending a 15-year drought for Australians in the event, the last of whom to win it was the now-retired Luke Saville back in 2011.

The teenager booked his place in the decider with a composed 6-4, 6-4 win over 11th seed Thijs Boogaard, arguably his toughest test of the tournament. Boogaard is no ordinary junior. Last month, he pushed Daniil Medvedev to a third-set tie-break as a wildcard at the ATP grass event in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, having also held a match point against him. This makes his win even more remarkable.

The Australian’s only break of the first set came in the third game, and a rare lapse in concentration in the second set led to him losing a break early on, but he regained it to secure the win. 

Lleyton Hewitt, the last Australian to win the Wimbledon singles title in 2002, has been a daily presence at his son’s matches this fortnight, warming him up and giving advice from the sidelines. Cruz has repeatedly emphasized the importance of that support, stating that his father has been a big help and that he is grateful to have him in his corner. The venue holds a special significance for the teenager, who spent his youth watching his father, and now competes where he once picked up balls. 

Hewitt Jr. has yet to drop a set all week, a stretch that includes a statement 6-3, 6-4 win over second seed Jamie Mackenzie in the third round. Moreover, a ruthless 6-1, 6-2 dismantling of ninth seed Dimitar Kisimov, the reigning Australian Open boys’ doubles champion, in the quarter-finals. 

Prior to this, he had never advanced past the fourth round in a major but achieved his best junior Grand Slam result in the semifinals. He’s set to become the first Australian to qualify for the Wimbledon boys’ final since Alex de Minaur in 2016, where he finished as a runner-up.  

Hewitt’s game built beyond the junior circuit

Cruz Hewitt’s improvement is all the more remarkable because the teen hasn’t competed in a junior tournament since last year’s US Open. He has been playing against senior players for the past few months. Hewitt is currently on his career-high ranking of world No. 606 and has logged a 20-15 overall record on the ITF and Challenger circuits in 2026. He opted for the more challenging route of playing on the pro circuit rather than the comfort of junior competition. That decision seems to be working out just as his team had hoped. 

Grass, in particular, has become something of a Hewitt speciality, just as it was for his father. Cruz has advanced to the Australian Pro Tour final in Wodonga this year. His grass-court performance is now impressive heading into Saturday, having won 11 of 14 matches.

Coached by former Australian Davis Cup representative Wayne Arthurs, the right-hander pairs a serve that has improved immensely over the past 12 months with a forehand that carries genuine power, and a one-two punch that has overwhelmed opponents all week. 

There are echoes of his father in his movement and defense, though Cruz has been careful to stress he is focused on building his own identity rather than simply retracing Lleyton’s path. Taller than his father, he hasn’t achieved the same level of relentless court coverage that earned Lleyton his double Grand Slam titles, but that drive and belief seem strikingly similar. 

Hewitt now has the opportunity to pick up a trophy at the very site where his father lifted it, and to end an Australian drought that has lasted a decade and a half in the process.