Cruz Hewitt Claims First ATP Win at Washington, 22 Years After Dad's Title

Father's Trophy, Son's First Win

Twenty-two years after Lleyton Hewitt stood at centre court and lifted the Washington trophy, his teenage son Cruz walked onto the same hard courts at the Mubadala DC Open and wrote his own first line of tennis history. The 17-year-old Australian, ranked No. 612 in the world and contesting his first ATP main draw as a qualifier, defeated American Marcos Giron 6-3, 6-4 in just 74 minutes on Tuesday to record his maiden tour-level victory at the 2026 DC Open.

The win was no fluke. Cruz faced zero break points throughout the entire match, won 83 per cent of his first-serve points, and converted 87 per cent of his attacking opportunities — 26 of 30. Against a player who has spent years competing at ATP level, that combination of efficiency and aggression signals that Cruz Hewitt is not simply trading on a famous surname. He dictated with first-strike tennis from the opening game and never gave Giron a foothold from which to build.

The Vicht Returns to Washington

When the final forehand winner clipped the line to close the second set, Cruz instinctively raised his right fist in the "vicht" — the signature pump inseparable from the Hewitt name in Australian sport for three decades. The gesture, learned from watching his father compete in Davis Cup rubbers and Grand Slam finals, was recognised immediately by the Washington crowd. Social media in Australia lit up within minutes.

Lleyton won the Washington title in 2004, at the peak of a career that placed him at world No. 1 and made him one of the most combative competitors the game has seen. Cruz is at the opposite end of that journey — ranked outside the top 600, qualifying his way into the draw — yet the tennis he produced on Tuesday suggested the gap between where he is and where he could be may close faster than those numbers imply. He won 83 per cent of first-serve points and dropped just one break point opportunity across the full match.

Historic Benchmarks at Seventeen

Cruz becomes only the fourth male player born in 2008 or later to win an ATP main-draw match at tour level. He is also the youngest Washington winner since 2007, when a teenage Kei Nishikori first announced himself on the hard courts of Rock Creek Park. Cruz's ranking is projected to jump approximately 255 places as a result of the win, pushing him inside the world's top 360 for the first time.

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His achievement also draws a direct parallel to his father's own trajectory: Lleyton won his first professional match at age 16 in January 1998 in Adelaide, where he subsequently lifted the title. The family history of peaking early and performing when it counts appears to run deep.

A Formidable Second Round Awaits

In the second round, Cruz will face the winner of the heavyweight contest between top seed Alex de Minaur — the defending Washington champion — and Stefanos Tsitsipas. That match was delayed by rain on Wednesday, meaning the Australian teenager has a brief window to prepare for what will be the stiffest test of his young career. Ugo Humbert, Brandon Nakashima and other established names also advanced on Tuesday, but it is the 17-year-old qualifier who has generated the most attention heading into day four. The second Hewitt chapter at Washington is already on the order of play.